Polish footballers eye glory as Champions League kicks off

Several Polish footballers are hoping to make their mark in this season’s Champions League, which kicked off on Tuesday.

Napoli's Polish midfielder Piotr Zieliński watches as his teammate Dries Mertens converts a penalty against Liverpool during their Champions League group E opener at San Paolo Stadium in Naples, Italy, on Tuesday.

Photo: EPA/CESARE ABBATE

As the competition returns, prolific Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is looking to add to his tally as a leading Champions League scorer.

With 53 goals, Lewandowski is now the competition’s sixth-highest all-time scorer, three goals behind fifth-placed Ruud van Nistelrooy of the Netherlands and seven behind France’s Karim Benzema.

Lewandowski’s Bayern Munich side plays Crvena Zvezda in its Champions League opener on Wednesday.

Other Poland internationals hoping for a moment of glory in the Champions League this season include defenders Łukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) and Kamil Glik (AS Monaco) as well as goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny (Juventus).

Further Polish names to watch include Arkadiusz Milik and Piotr Zieliński (both Napoli), and Maciej Rybus and Grzegorz Krychowiak (both Lokomotiv Moscow).

Thirty-two teams will take part in a total of six rounds of fixtures in the Champions League group stage, which began on Tuesday and will conclude on December 11.

The Champions League final will be played on May 30 next year at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

(gs/pk)

Source: sport.tvp.pl