Analysis: Poland 1–2 Senegal
Senegal produced a disciplined performance to earn victory over Poland in Moscow.
The star of the 2–1 win, however, was not the players, but manager Aliou Cisse, who played out an interesting tactical battle with opposite number Adam Nawalka, and came out on top.
Senegal set up in a 4–4–2, with star forward Sadio Mane surprisingly operating on the left of midfield. Mbaye Niang started upfront alongside Mame Biram Diouf, and a slight doubt over the fill fitness of Cheikou Kouyate meant Alfred Ndiaye came into the side.
The Polish side went with a 4–2–3–1, with Arkadiusz Milik behind Robert Lewandowski. The unfortunate injury to Kamil Glik meant Thiago Cionek came into the side at centre-back.
Senegal did not press high up, but got both forwards goalside of Poland’s centre-backs and defended in a very compact medium block. Grzegorz Krychowiak dropped into the back line to get on the ball, and tried to spread play to the advancing full-backs.
However, Poland’s slow circulation at the back, combined with the willingness of Senegal’s wingers to track their man diligently, made this out-ball difficult to exploit. Maciej Rybus, on the left, combined a few times with Kamil Grosicki to get in behind Molla Wague, but by and large Senegal were untroubled by this approach.
They simply used the touchline as an extra defender, pressing with intensity to win the ball, and ran directly down the flanks. That was, perhaps, the theme of Senegal’s play on the day: their physicality and intensity in 1v1s also served them well when Cionek tried to play directly through to Lewandowski. Kalidou Koulibaly dominated the Bayern man utterly, both in the air and on the ground.
Crucially though, Senegal has a 2v2 upfront, which allowed them to attack quickly and directly following the inevitable turnovers. They might have gone ahead earlier than they did but for Niang’s decision-making, which can be problematic on occasion — he notably elected to go alone on his weaker foot, in the best chance of the first half, rather than square to a better-placed Diouf.
He was, however, instrumental in the opener, outmuscling Piszczek and laying the ball off as Senegal streaked forward. Cionek deflected Gueye’s poor shot into his own net. In football, you make your own luck.
Nawalka smartly moved to a 3–4–3 at the resumption, bringing on Jan Bednarek for Jakub Blaszczykowski. Now, Senegal had a problem: they could no longer attack directly with the same conviction, as Poland now had a spare man. Also, it forced the wingers: Mane, and the lightning-quick Ismaila Sarr to sit narrower in order to protect the half-spaces and prevent easy passes to the feet of the inside forwards.
This meant space opened up on the flank for the wing-backs, as Wague and Youssouf Sabaly tracked Grosicki and Milik into narrow positions. Piszczek had a great opportunity coming around the back to meet a deep cross from the opposite flank, which he could not get on target, and then, with space opening up in front of the defence as Ndiaye stepped out to press, Lewandowski skinned Koulibaly and won a free kick, forcing a fine save out of Khadim Ndiaye. Senegal were rocking.
So, Cisse prepared a sub: giant midfielder Cheikh N’Doye.
Senegal scored, entirely fortuitously and against the run of play, thanks to some shocking defending by Krychowiak, but Cisse made the change anyway — Senegal moved to a 4–1–4–1, and were able to see out the game comfortably. Mane and Sarr went with the wing-backs, while Ndoye and Ndiaye pressured Piotr Zielinski and Krychowiak.
Poland pulled a goal back just before Kouyate was readied to come on, but instructively it was a like-for-like change — Cisse was confident enough in his system to not sacrifice a forward and needlessly invite pressure, and was rewarded.
