The game kicks off at 8:45 p.m. at Energa Gdańsk Stadium in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk and follows two previous Nations League fixtures in which the Poles beat Bosnia-and-Herzegovina 2-1 and lost 0-1 to the Netherlands.
Poland, captained by star striker Robert Lewandowski, are looking to put on a strong performance against Italy after a morale-boosting win in a friendly against Finland.
At a pre-match news conference in Gdańsk on Saturday, Poland manager Jerzy Brzęczek said: "Without a doubt, the Italians deserve praise ... However, we are looking forward to this match, because I am satisfied with the way the players have been performing."
Poland boss Jerzy Brzęczek during a pre-match news conference in Gdańsk on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Photo: PAP/Adam Warżawa
Poland are ranked 19th worldwide by football's governing body FIFA, while Italy are No. 12 in the FIFA table.
On Wednesday, October 7, the Polish team routed Finland 5-1 in a friendly match on home turf that saw a number of less familiar faces fielded by Brzęczek.
Lewandowski watched that game from the stands to save his strength ahead of upcoming Nations League matches.
Polish star striker Robert Lewandowski. Photo: PAP/Adam Warżawa
After playing Italy, the Polish team will take on Bosnia-and-Herzegovina in their next match in the group stage of the Nations League on October 14.
The Nations League is the European football governing body UEFA’s newest national-team competition that is now in its second edition.
The competition is designed to enable teams to play against those that are similarly ranked and also offers an alternative path for teams to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Portugal won the first edition of the Nations League last year.
Upcoming Poland fixtures
October 11: Italy (Nations League, Gdańsk)
October 14: Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nations League, Wrocław)
November 11: Ukraine (friendly, Chorzów)
November 15: Italy (Nations League, Rome)
November 18: The Netherlands (Nations League, Chorzów)
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Source: PAP, uefa.com