Poland vs Ukraine prediction 31.05.2026 | Friendlies

Poland actually finished their qualifying campaign in fairly strong form despite the heartbreak at the end. The Eagles went five matches unbeaten during the run-in and even handled difficult games against the Netherlands impressively. That momentum helped Jan Urban’s side overcome Albania in the playoff semi-final before the dramatic defeat against Sweden in Stockholm.

The frustrating part for supporters was probably how close Poland came. The Eagles led the playoff final after half an hour but slowly lost control as the match opened up. Still, performances at home remain encouraging. Poland have won six of their last seven matches on home soil and generally look far more settled playing in front of their own supporters.

Robert Lewandowski naturally remains the headline name in attack, although Poland’s creativity increasingly comes from deeper areas now. Piotr Zieliński and Sebastian Szymański should again carry much of that responsibility through midfield as Urban looks for a balanced response after the playoff disappointment.

Ukraine also produced a respectable qualifying campaign overall, losing only once across their final five matches before the playoffs began. The bigger issue was the manner of the defeat against Sweden. The Blue and Yellows looked second best for long periods and struggled badly once the tempo increased in midfield.

Andrea Maldera’s side at least responded positively afterward with a narrow friendly victory over Albania. It was not a spectacular performance by any means, however clean sheets and compact displays have become increasingly important for this Ukrainian side lately. Away form still creates some concern though, with four defeats in the last nine road matches.

Maldera has leaned heavily toward players performing strongly in the domestic league. Dynamo Kyiv provide several key names in the squad, including Ruslan Neshcheret and Taras Mykhavko.

The visitors still possess plenty of international experience too, with Andriy Lunin, Illia Zabarnyi and Artem Dovbyk expected to form the spine of the side.