Sweden Beat Poland 3-1 as Lewandowski Waits on Bench

A Solid First Half Fades After the Break
The first half in Stockholm was fairly even. Benjamin Nygren headed Sweden in front in the eighth minute, but Poland found their rhythm after a sluggish start. In the 43rd minute, Sebastian Szymański swept a left-footed finish past the keeper from Nicola Zalewski's cross, and the visitors went into the interval with real hope.

That hope did not last. Sweden took control after the restart, and Yasin Ayari restored their lead in the 64th minute. He beat Szymański following a short corner and placed his shot perfectly. Eight minutes later, Patrik Walemark, who plays his club football for Polish champions Lech Poznań, skipped past substitute Przemysław Frankowski and set up Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres for a simple tap-in.

Poland did have a brief spell of pressure between the two goals, and stand-in captain Piotr Zieliński fired just wide. They finished with more shots on goal than the hosts but could not turn them into goals. Their challenge faded once Gyokeres scored, and a triple substitution in the 76th minute changed little.

The defeat is also the second time in six months that Poland have lost at the Strawberry Arena. Sweden beat them there in March in the playoff final, a heartbreaking result that cost Poland a place at this year's World Cup.

Lewandowski's Late Cameo and a Tough Road Ahead
Coach Jan Urban left the 38-year-old Chicago Fire striker out of the starting line-up, just three days after Lewandowski led the attack in the opening Nations League match against Bosnia. He finally came on for Przemysław Wiśniewski with a minute of normal time left, and picked up a yellow card late on.

Poland are playing in the second tier of the Nations League for the first time. They began their League B campaign with a goalless home draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. Next up, they host Romania at Warsaw's National Stadium on Friday.