Poland to play crucial game against Sweden in sweltering heat

Sweden will reach the knockout stages of Euro 2020 as unlikely Group E winners if they beat Poland on Wednesday, but it will be no easy task as their opponents need a victory to have any hope of keeping their last-16 dream alive.

However, the task Poland faces is very hard not only because of the quality of the Swedish team.

"Two pieces of bad news. First one: it's extremely hot. A wave of heat sweeps through Petersburg. It's 10:22 a.m. and it's over 30 degrees in the shade. Very hot. They predict 34 degrees. It will be extremely hot, there will be hell at the stadium" - "Fakty" reporter Andrzej Zaucha said.

He added that local media advise how players should protect themselves from the sweltering heat, so as not to get sunstroke.

More bad news from Andrzej Zaucha. "Another wave of coronavirus infections is on the rise in Russia. It's best to be vaccinated, and here masks are mandatory in closed spaces. Russians disregard the restrictions and this causes problems" - he explained.

Finally, it's still uncertain whether Poland's centre-back Jan Bednarek and midfielder Jakub Moder will be ready to play on Wednesday due to injuries.

Polish team is familiar with the stadium in St. Petersburg as they played their first game in the tournament against Slovakia. Game against Sweden will provide an answer whether or not the lost opening match was simply an accident.

The Group E winners will head to Hampden Park in Glasgow, where they will face one of the third-placed teams from groups A, B, C or D on June 29, and Sweden defender Mikael Lustig, who spent seven years at Scottish club Celtic, has his sights set on a return to the city.

"There'll definitely be Swedish fans there, there's a lot of Swedes living in Great Britain so they'll be able to travel there, and I have a lot of friends in Glasgow," Lustig told a news conference.

Lustig played a key role in Sweden's ultra-defensive display in their first outing against Spain, which ended 0-0, and they followed that up with a gritty 1-0 win over Slovakia to go top of the group.

Striker Alexander Isak has provided flashes of brilliance in the Swedish attack and Lustig is not surprised that he has attracted attention.

"When he gets up to speed it's almost impossible to stop him ... that's the kind of player you need when you're lying deep in a game, a player who can beat his man, suddenly the whole field opens up," Lustig explained.

Isak's strike partner Marcus Berg has faced criticism for his lack of goals, but Sweden coach Janne Andersson is not a man for tinkering with his starting selection and the 34-year-old will likely get the nod again ahead of Robin Quaison.

Robert Lewandowski got Poland's goal against Spain with a typical towering header, and the Swedish centre back pairing of Victor Lindelof and Marcus Danielson will likely have their hands full containing him in St Petersburg.

Spain play Slovakia in the group's other game, and a win there will secure them at least second spot and a place in the last 16, despite a slow start.