Preview: Andorra vs. Poland - prediction, team news, lineups

Poland will seek to keep the pressure on England in World Cup 2022 Qualifying Group I when they travel to Andorra on Friday night.

The visitors sit three points behind the Three Lions in second place, while Andorra's expected elimination has already been confirmed.

Match preview

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Another underwhelming qualification campaign for Andorra hardly came as a surprise to anyone, but Koldo Alvarez's men can at least exit with two wins to their name following their second successive triumph over San Marino last time out.

Marc Pujol, Sergi Moreno and Ricard Fernandez all netted in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the microstate, but having been thumped 5-0 by England on home soil a few days before, that result has done little to alter Andorra's current predicament in Group I.

Alvarez's side are highly unlikely to be usurped by San Marino at this stage but also find themselves five points behind fourth-placed Hungary - who face the basement boys on Friday - so a fifth-placed finish is surely on the cards for Andorra.

Aside from their pair of victories against San Marino, Andorra have lost their other six games in the group - conceding 19 goals in that time and only chalking up another two against Hungary - and Alvarez's side will simply be playing for pride on home soil this week.

A small fire at the Estadi Nacional threatened their meeting with England last month, but the 3,300-seater stadium is ready and waiting to welcome the Polish contingent, who will aim to condemn Andorra to their fifth defeat from their last six World Cup Qualifying matches at home.

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While England struggled to get over the line against Hungary, Poland gave their hopes of qualification a major boost with a 1-0 success over Albania last time out, as Karol Swiderski struck the game's only goal with 13 minutes remaining.

Having also seen off the threat of San Marino by five goals to nil last month, Poland's recent resurgence in World Cup Qualifying has seen them take 13 points from the last 15 on offer to sit second in Group I - three points adrift of England and two clear of Albania.

Pipping the Three Lions to top spot is a highly unlikely scenario given that the Three Lions face San Marino on the final matchday, and if Gareth Southgate's side beat Albania while Poland produce the goods against Andorra, the top two spots in Group I will be decided before game 10.

Paulo Sousa's side are the highest goalscorers in the group with 25 strikes to their name - hardly a surprise with six-goal talisman Robert Lewandowski leading the charge - and this week's visitors have notched up 18 goals in their last five away games in World Cup Qualifying.

Lewandowski (2) and Swiderski both struck in a routine 3-0 win for Poland against Andorra eight months ago, which followed a previous 4-0 thrashing in a 2012 friendly as the visitors prepare to step foot onto Andorran soil for the first time this week.

Team News

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Andorra defender Ildefons Lima memorably pulled up with a thigh injury after attempting to keep pace with Jadon Sancho last month, and the 41-year-old will miss out this month.

Christian Garcia will not be involved either, but Alvarez has no need to make major alterations from the side that got the job done against San Marino.

A similar setup would see Fernandez and Pujol both hold their places in the final third, with the latter now two caps away from becoming the fourth player to reach 100 for his country.

As for Poland, defenders Jan Bednarek and Tymoteusz Puchacz will both sit this one out due to yellow card suspensions, while Juventus number one Wojciech Szczesny has been called up despite missing last weekend's win over Fiorentina due to bruised ribs.

The visitors should be guaranteed a top-two finish with all three points here, so a strong XI should take to the field, starting with Michal Helik and Przemyslaw Frankowski replacing the suspended Bednarek and Puchacz.

Aston Villa's Matty Cash has earned his first call-up after pledging allegiance to Poland and is in line for his debut on the right, while Marseille's Arkadiusz Milik is a fresh option in attack.

Andorra possible starting lineup:
Alvarez; Nicolas, Llovera, Alavedra, Cervos; Alaez, Moreno, Vales, Martinez; Pujol, Fernandez

Poland possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Helik, Glik, Dawidowicz; Cash, Linetty, Moder, Zielinski, Frankowski; Lewandowski, Milik

We say: Andorra 0-4 Poland

With Poland boss Sousa potentially tempted to field his strongest XI here and guarantee a top-two finish before the final matchday, we can only envisage one outcome.

The visitors have found form at a crucial time in World Cup Qualifying, while Andorra's campaign cannot end quickly enough, so Sousa's men should march to all three points with plenty of goals en route.

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