By Tommy Lund
Warsaw, Poland (Reuters) – Poland coach Michal Probierz praised his team’s resilience and attacking response after they fought back to secure a 3-3 home draw following a Croatian blitz in the Nations League on Tuesday.
The hosts led 1-0 through captain Piotr Zielinski but Croatia scored three goals in seven first-half minutes to turn the match on its head.
Poland, however, staged a comeback, ultimately securing a point with goals from Nicola Zalewski and Sebastian Szymanski.
“Those seven minutes shook us, so all the more credit to the team for getting back up,” Probierz said.
“We conceded goals too easily. There were mistakes in our defensive play. But we are happy because we were able to counteract that with our play in attacking areas.
“Everyone wants to win, that’s what matters most to me. Unfortunately, that was missing today. Our defence faltered, and we conceded those goals in static situations.”
However, the 52-year-old remained optimistic about his side.
“We are still learning football at a high level and we showed today that we can play one-on-one,” he said.
“There are also many positives. The young ones show that they want to play and can play.”
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic also had mixed feelings after the match.
“We had a 3-1 lead and we were playing very well, but then we conceded a goal and brought Poland back into the game. Even so, it was a fantastic response after being 1-0 down,” he told reporters.
Poland goalkeeper Marcin Bulka conceded a flurry of goals in a short space of time but also made several saves.
“It was an absolutely crazy game. We started well, but then conceded three in a matter of minutes,” he said.
“It felt hopeless, but we managed to come back. I am glad that we left with a point, but I regret that we did not score a fourth.”
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Warsaw; Editing by Toby Davis)
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