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World Cup 2018, Poland vs Senegal: What time is kick-off tomorrow, what TV channel is it on and what is our prediction?

Senegal and Poland are in the evenly matched Group H - AFP
Senegal and Poland are in the evenly matched Group H - AFP

What is it?

The final game of the first-round of a group stage matches as Poland face Senegal in Group H - with Japan and Colombia playing earlier in the day. 

When is it?

Tuesday 19 June.

What time is kick-off?

4pm UK time.

What TV channel is it on?

ITV coverage begins at 3.25pm or alternatively you can bookmark this page and return to follow every kick with our Telegraph Sport live blog. 

Where is the game being played? 

At the Spartak Stadium in Moscow home to, you guessed it, Spartak Moscow. 

What is the team news?

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for Poland after scoring 16 goals in qualifying. Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will be a familiar face in goal for English fans, and keep an eye out for talented Napoli playmaker Piotr Zieliński in midfield. 

Sadio Mane is the jewell in Senegal's crown and will be ably assisted by Premier League players such as Idrisa Geuye, Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho. Senegal reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 finals after beating holders France in the opening game of the tournament. 

World Cup 2018 | Fixtures, groups, squads and more
World Cup 2018 | Fixtures, groups, squads and more

And the squads in full:

Poland

Goalkeepers: Bartosz Bialkowski (Ipswich Town), Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea City), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus).

Defenders: Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Bartosz Bereszynski (UC Sampdoria), Thiago Cionek (SPAL Ferrara), Kamil Glik (AS Monaco), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Michal Pazdan (Legia Warsaw), Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfielders: Jakub Blaszczykowski (VfL Wolfsburg), Jacek Goralski (PFC Ludogorets Razgrad), Maciej Rybus (FC Lokomotiv Moscow), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Karol Linetty (UC Sampdoria), Grzegorz Krychowiak (West Bromwich Albion), Kamil Grosicki (Hull City), Slawomir Peszko (Lechia Gdansk), Rafal Kurzawa (Gornik Zabrze).

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli), Lukasz Teodorczyk (RSC Anderlecht), Dawid Kownacki (UC Sampdoria).

World Cup record: Poland
World Cup record: Poland

Senegal

Abdoulaye Diallo, Khadim Ndiaye, Alfred Gomis, Lamine Gassama, Moussa Wague, Saliou Ciss, Youssouf Sabaly, Kalidou Kalidou, Salif Sane, Cheikhou Kouyate, Kara Mbodji, Idrisa Gana Gueye, Cheikh Ndoye, Alfred Ndiaye, Pape Alioune Ndiaye, Moussa Sow, Moussa Konate, Diafra Sakho, Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Mame Biram Diouf, Mbaye Niang, Diao Keita Balde.

World Cup record: Senegal
World Cup record: Senegal

What's the latest news on the two teams?

Senegal hoping to channel spirit of 2002

Senegal will draw on the spirit of the late Bruno Metsu, the maverick French coach who led them to the 2002 quarter-finals, when they face Poland on Tuesday in their first World Cup match in 16 years.

Aliou Cisse, who captained the side which Metsu famously fired up to stun defending champions France 1-0 in Seoul in their opening game, said he was thinking of his mentor.

Yet as the only African coach in this year's competition, he is determined to stamp his own generation's mark on world football.

Asked if he had taken up Metsu's style of team talk, when he worked on their anger at being dismissed as outsiders in their first finals, Cisse told reporters: "No. Bruno's talk was Bruno. I'm the coach now, I have my own way of managing my team.

Senegal - Credit: AFP
Senegal's coach Aliou Cisse Credit: AFP

"But today on the eve of this match against Poland my thoughts are with Bruno. I know that from where he is today he is watching us and his energy will lift us."

Metsu, whose side lost to a Turkish golden goal in the 2002 quarter-finals, died five years ago of cancer, aged 59.

For decades, many of Africa's most successful teams have had European or Latin American coaches, but Cisse reckoned it was time to move on: "Sure, I'm the only black coach in this World Cup. But these are debates that bother me. I believe football is universal and the colour of your skin doesn't matter.

"I represent a new generation which wants to find its place in African football and world football," he added. "We also have a right to be among the elite of international coaches."

Reuters. 

What are the odds?

  • Poland 11/8

  • Senegal 13/5

  • Draw 23/1

What's our prediction?

Both teams' strength lies in attack, so we fancy this might be a more open and enterprising game than the your typical group stage match. Poland are always touted as dark horses but are yet to really get their act together in a tournament - including a disappointing European Championship performance on home soil in 2012.

Verdict: Poland 2 Senegal 2

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