Poland prepares for Bosnia and Herzegovina clash with Wiktor Nowak in midfield

Midfield breakthrough ahead of Zenica fixture

The Polish national football team is preparing for its upcoming UEFA Nations League away fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica without forward Robert Lewandowski. Head coach Jan Urban has integrated 22-year-old midfielder Wiktor Nowak into the starting lineup following his quick progression across club competitions. Eighteen months ago, Nowak played in the Polish second division for Znicz Pruszków before moving to top-flight Wisła Płock and subsequently transferring to Czech champions Slavia Prague. In Prague, Nowak scored five goals and registered one assist across nine competitive matches. During Poland's first meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Urban replaced Bartosz Slisz with Nowak at half-time, later giving the midfielder consecutive starts against Sweden and Romania.

Managerial stability and squad support

Poland entered the recent home fixture against Romania under scrutiny, with external speculation regarding Urban's future as manager following early group results. A 22nd-minute red card shown to a Romanian defender at the PGE Narodowy gave Poland a numerical advantage, allowing the side to control possession and secure a clean sheet. The victory brought Poland to four points from three Nations League matches. Midfielder Sebastian Szymański noted that the squad discussed scoring early in the second half during the interval and affirmed the team's commitment to Urban.

We are aware of how we played in earlier matches and what our situation is. I can certainly say that we are strongly behind the coach, and it is great that he can now fight back. We are all together, we leave no one behind, and the coach is part of our team until the end.

Tactical search for central balance

Poland's central midfield has undergone recurring changes since the era of Grzegorz Krychowiak, as successive national team managers evaluated different partnerships around Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński. Previous lineups featured Mateusz Klich, Jakub Moder, Jakub Piotrowski, and Bartosz Slisz, while former manager Michał Probierz tested Kacper Urbański and Taras Romańczuk. Urban structured the midfield with Zieliński in a deeper playmaking role and Szymański advanced, finding defensive balance through Nowak's ball-winning and distribution abilities.

Wiktor shows very high potential for interceptions, combination play, and gaining territory. He seems to be a rather complete player. He showed himself from a very good side, which is what football is about. May there be more such figures.

Preparations for the away test in Zenica

Urban has determined key positions for the Monday return match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, selecting Marcin Bułka to start in goal while retaining Nowak, Zieliński, and Szymański in midfield. Poland's campaign began with a 0:0 home draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a fixture against Sweden and the victory over Romania. The team now travels to Zenica seeking points to improve its standing in the Nations League table. Szymański addressed the challenge of facing the same opponent away from home after their initial encounter in Warsaw.

We are playing away, so it will certainly be a bit more difficult, but we know this opponent better now and I think we will prepare for them properly.