Lewandowski fulfils dream

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI fared somewhat better than Lionel Messi did against Saudi Arabia.

The Poland striker was in tears as he scored his first-ever World Cup goal here at the Education City Stadium. He put his side’s opener on a plate for Piotr Zielinski, too.

The 34-year-old has 77 goals for his country — but this is the one he has longed for the most.

‘I’m aware when it comes to the World Cup, it might be my last,’ said Lewandowski. ‘Everything I had inside, the dreams and the importance of the goal, all those dreams of my early childhood were fulfilled. It was so significant.

‘I always wanted to score at the World Cup and it came true.’

One would have forgiven the Saudis for shedding a tear, too. They could not quite replicate their seismic win over Argentina. But make no mistake, they had the Poles rattled. This effervescent team, coached expertly by Herve Renard, are joy to behold.

But more so, Poland were indebted to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who made a string of brilliant saves — including one from the penalty spot — to spare his team’s blushes.

Because the Poles were pummelled for much of this game — Mohamed Kanno and Saleh AlShehri going close inside the opening 30 minutes.

It took an intervention from Lewandowski to finally steady the ship in the 39th minute; the striker delicately skipping beyond goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais before cutting the ball back to Zielinski who scored Poland’s first World Cup goal from open play since 2002.

The Saudis were handed a fortunate lifeline in the 44th minute when referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio, after a VAR check, awarded them a penalty. The former Arsenal keeper Szczesny first stopped Salem Al-Dawsari’s penalty before making an even better save to deny Mohammed AlBurayk’s follow-up.

Later, Lewandowski broke his duck in the 82nd minute, when he capitalised on a Abdulelah Al-Malki mistake.

This day belonged to the great Pole, but without Szczesny it could have been oh so different.