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Yet another upset in this edition of the FIFA World Cup was witnessed by the football fraternity when Senegal beat Poland at the Otkrytie Arena. The match ended 2-1, with the Africans scoring twice to register themselves as party starters, being the first African nation to win a game this year.
The match started slowly, as neither side gained control of the proceedings. The affair was rather even-keeled, owing to the lack of innovation from the midfielders of either side. As far as the European side were concerned, their midfielders and wingers failed to provide any service to Lewandowski.
Despite having a significantly larger say in possession, Poland were unable to break the shackles. Their defenders passed the ball around more than anybody else. They were let down by their wingers, who proved to be a little too slow in carrying the ball and making decisions.
Adam Nawalka's team didn't look reliable in defence either, as Senegal's pace while counter-attacking seemed a continuous threat. Sadio Mane and co. forced Poland back to their own half and enjoyed the better chances in either half. Although Kyrchowiak reduced the deficit, the Lions were relentless.
Without further delay, let's take a look at the best and the worst players from this final game of Matchday 1 in FIFA World Cup 2018.
Best: Ismaila Sarr
Sarr absolutely lit up his World Cup debut game in sublime style. He waited for his chances on the ball and grabbed them with both hands. He took a few minutes to get into the game, but once he did, the wily winger turned into a menace who looked threatening down the right.
He goes down as one of the best players in this fixture due to his intent. So far in this competition, teams that have taken a risk and ran the extra yard have emerged victorious more often than not. Senegal did just that, through this 20-year-old.
He injected pace down the right flank, accelerated with the ball and most importantly, wasn't afraid of taking on robust defenders. He found free spaces down various channels and completed take-on's with skill.
In addition, he delivered a couple of delightful yet teasing balls into the six-yard box.
Worst: Wojciech Szczesny
Szczesny enters this list as one of the worst players in this match.
One mistake from the goalkeeper's side is enough to grant the opposition a larger room for victory. And the former Arsenal gloveman foolishly perpetrated an error of the worst quality.
To start off, he was undisturbed in the outing for the most part of the game due to a poor final ball and lack of possession from Senegal. He can't be blamed for the first goal, which was an unfortunate deflection off Thiago Cionek.
When Niang was ahead of the defender and on course to score his side's second, Szczesny flew out of his lines to shut him down, but unwisely, he committed to a silly challenge. Instead, he could have made himself bigger and given the Senegalese forward lesser to aim at.
He was beaten by a good yard and ultimately, his error for the second goal almost ensured Poland's defeat.
Hit: M'Baye Niang
In simple words, M'Baye Niang was unstoppable at times. With a rich blend of strength and explosive pace, the center-forward set the field on fire.
Let us begin with his work off the ball. He forced the midfielders to pass back with a fantastic desire to press high up the pitch. As a result, they initiated too many moves from the back end of the setup. He earned the right reward for this impeccable amount of work rate - a maiden goal for his nation.
The 23-year-old was cognizant of the back pass played by Poland's goal scorer. He chased the ball down till the very end, beat Szczesny and sealed the deal for his country, thereby turning them into qualification favourites in Group H.
Next, his show of strength was noteworthy. Niang gave it all he had on every single occasion, tussling with the opposition defenders and playing with a never-say-die attitude. To show for his physicality, he won he ball back many a time and gained possession.
Last but not the least, he wriggled past Polish defenders with utmost ease. The pacy forward showed good feet, coupled with balance and precision.
Worst: Jakub Blaszczykowski
When the game kicked off, everybody expected Poland to make the ball talk and create openings. However, nothing of that sort was displayed to the fans, as the wingers were out of steam while going forward.
Jakub Blaszczykowski was supposed to bring in his crossing abilities and finishing to the field, but a sporadic effort on the pitch underlined his poor performance. Neither did he get into the highest parts of the pitch, nor did he cut inside.
By doing that, he would have allowed Piszczek to overlap and unbind his crossing expertise. Most of the times, he chose the safer route - to pass back and sideways, instead of supplying a pass into the box or linking up with the forwards.
He killed the inventiveness in the final third of the pitch by misplacing through-balls and opting a defensive style of play.
Hit: Kalidou Koulibaly
Koulibaly is another one who outclassed Poland.
A solid, titanic figure at the back, the centre-half stood up to almost every challenge that was thrown at him. Firstly, he was safe as a house. He cleared his lines, looked for a long ball and passed around comfortably.
He also kept Lewandowski in check for the most part of the game, man-marking the striker to near perfection.
He won the aerial duels and took care of the crosses. Due to his sheer brilliance, the Bayern Munich forward touched the ball in Senegal's penalty area just over twice in the first-half.
Tactically too, Koulibaly was sharp and sinewy.
What do you think about Senegal's win? Sound off in the comments section below!
