It was in the 39th minute of what had been an entertaining first half that Poland’s trajectory against Saudi Arabia began to change.
Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski had given Poland the lead five minutes earlier, sweeping away Robert Lewandowski’s wise retirement after the Barcelona striker forced goalkeeper Mohammed Khalil Al Owais’ pass.
Now, however, Saudi Arabia had a chance to make amends the tie with a penalty, and all eyes were on Wojciech Szczesny and Salem Al Dawsari. Shot by Dawsari, who at the best height for the goalkeeper.
The most productive to come.
Szczesny’s stop made the ball absolutely transparent, it fell on Mohammed Al-Breik a few meters from the goal, and the left back hit a company shot from the left of Szczesny, but the Polish striker, appearing with all the reflexes of a proverbial cat. , deflected the effort over the crossbar.
The Juventus goalkeeper was outplayed by his teammates, knowing that a number of occasions had kept Poland’s lead in order. It would save the penalty. It’s anything he’s become smart about since joining The Old Lady five years ago.
“We figured out a way to analyze penalty takers and every now and then I save them,” he said after the game. it works well at Juve. “
Since joining Juventus in the summer of 2017, Szczesny has racked up some consequences from a total of 34 faces. He racked up 3 in Serie A last season, and no one has accumulated more.
Szczesny has been one of Juve’s most reliable players at a time when the same cannot be said for his players. Upon joining the club, he was the understudy for the wonderful Gianluigi Buffon, sitting under his learning tree and enjoying the party. in career and education along with arguably the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport.
When Buffon left Juventus at the end of the 2017/2018 season, Szczesny was then Juve’s undisputed No. 1, and he hasn’t looked out of place since. Even when Buffon returned, after his stay in Paris lasted only one season, he remained No. 1.
“My first idea was that you have to take a step back to take two steps forward,” Szczesny told BBC Sport of his year as Buffon’s understudy. “When I analyzed the situation, it wasn’t really a step backwards because I knew I was going to play.
“I played 21 games, which is not bad for a goalkeeper moment. I also had the opportunity to be informed of one of the stories and had a year to prepare for the position of alternate.
“It’s the most productive career opportunity I can have. “
That’s not to say there haven’t been tricky moments, Szczesny has gone through periods of detached form, especially in mid-2021. Crusader without trophies in 11 years, Szczesny has been solid and consistent on the side of the Bianconeri.
With Poland now the most sensitive in Group C and one point ahead of each and every other, there is a real chance that the Eastern European country will qualify for the knockout stage for the first time since 1986. If they are the most sensitive in the group, there is any and all chance that a quarter-final position will be available. And if that happens, Szczesny will have an important role to play.