Euro 2012 Opta Stats: Poland to start well but miss out

Four of the six competitive games between Poland and Russia have seen the side playing in their home country lead 1-0 at half-time (the other two were on neutral soil)
This is a fairly incredible statistic made all the more intriguing by the fact that the outcome that it points to - Poland boasting a 1-0 advantage at the interval - is precisely what happened in the tournament curtain-raiser against Greece. They also led 1-0 at the break in their second group match at the last European Championship against Austria, eventually being pegged back for a 1-1 draw.

Poland have played more games at the European Championship without winning than any other side (four)
This trend probably didn't inspire much fear before, as their struggles at Euro 2008 owed plenty to being paired with finalists Germany and strong-starting Croatia. However, after surrendering from 1-0 against ten men and being lucky not to lose on Friday, this winless record will cause increasingly anguish. Russia by contrast are unbeaten in 15 and have lost just one of six competitive meetings with Poland, so even if they trail at half-time - as the first Opta stat suggests - they will be confident of recovering.

With his strike against Czech Republic, Roman Pavlyuchenko became Russia's top scorer at the European Championship (four goals)
The former Tottenham forward's sublime goal as a sub against Czech Republic staked a claim for a place enhanced by Russia's starting striker in the 4-1 stroll, Aleksandr Kerzhakov, making unwanted Euro history with seven shots off target. Dick Advocaat might yet stick with the Zenit man, feeling that the result and his ability to offer a greater all-round contribution justify his continued inclusion. If so, Pavlyuchenko is still likely to get a lengthy run-out in the second half, which is when the Opta stats indicate Russia could be at their most productive.

Recommended Bets:
Back Poland to lead 1-0 at half-time @ 6.05/1
Back Russia to win the second half @ 2.8815/8
Back Roman Pavlyuchenko to score @ 3.613/5

Click here to read more Opta stats on this encounter