It couldn’t last, and Milik finally broke the deadlock on 51 minutes with an emphatic left-footed finish from Jakub Blaszczykowski’s cross which went through the legs of Craig Cathcart and beyond McGovern.
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Northern Ireland failed to register a shot on target and Norwich City forward Lafferty insists the team will “put it right” when they face Ukraine in Lyon on Thursday.
Milik’s 51st-minute strike from the edge of the penalty area secured Poland their first ever win at a European Championship at the seventh attempt.
Poland qualified for Euro 2016 by finishing second to Germany in their group.
“We will try to work and play this match to win it and thinking about winning it but we need to remember that the Northern Irish team is a very strong team that has won its group, hasn’t lost in 12 and they will set the bar high”. We want to achieve good results and be focused on the next match, first and foremost.
Sunday’s match will be Northern Ireland’s biggest in 30 years as their first appearance at a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
“Northern Ireland are known for their physical football so we had to adjust and offer the same in order to demonstrate our skills”. Well, I think O’Neill might start out by being cautious to begin with.
“We are experienced, we know how to play this game”.
“Poland’s biggest threat is obviously Milik and Lewandowski”.
On a day when Poland’s brightest star Robert Lewandowski was stifled by Northern Ireland, the rest of the team stood up for duty, with Sevilla midfielder Krychowiak in particular shining in a playmaker role.
But they did shock Joachim Low’s world champions 2-0 in Warsaw – the first time Poland had beaten Germany in their history. And Krychowiak had a chance to double the lead in the 88th when his fierce shot from distance flashed wide of the post.
Nice: Kyle Lafferty is at near fever pitch for Northern Ireland’s debut at the European Championship finals on Sunday against Poland.
Substitute Conor Washington forced Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to race off his line to save in the 72nd minute. Both required treatment but were able to continue.
Meanwhile, Polish fans in Nice clashed with local hooligans on Saturday.
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They played one less preparation game then Poland, and recorded three victories – against Latvia, Slovenia and Belarus, and two draws – against Wales and Slovakia.
