Poland 2-0 Germany: Poland stun World Cup winners

Poland's forward Arkadiusz Milik celebrates giving his team the lead. Picture: Getty

Scorers: Poland - Milik 51; Mila 88

Scotland travel to Warsaw on Tuesday, but they will meet a Polish side brimming with confidence after this famous win.

A second-half goal in what was practically their first real attack of the game from Arkadiusz Milik following a rare error of judgment from Germany keeper Manuel Neuer helped them make it two wins out of two in their group.

And they added a second late on through substitute Sebastian Mila.

It was the worst possible result for Scotland and the Germans will be wondering quite how they came away from the game with nothing after dominating and missing a string of chances.

Only six of the German team that beat Argentina in the World Cup Final played last night in Warsaw. And they also made three changes from the side that narrowly triumphed over Scotland last month.

Joachim Löw handed a debut to Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Karim Bellarabi – who could and should have netted at least a couple of goals last night – while the Poles were led by Bayern Munich hitman and inspirational skipper Robert Lewandowski, whose tally of 23 international goals was three more than the rest of the Polish team combined.

Germany were backed by a pitiful away support of fewer than the 2,000 tickets they had requested – Scotland will have 3,200 in Warsaw on Tuesday – but they certainly started on the ascendancy and had the vast majority of the early possession. Polish defender Kamil Glik took an unnecessary risk in the ninth minute when he pointlessly shoved a hand on the chest of German striker Thomas Muller as the ball was running out of play.

Muller then hit a low drive at goal which was well held by Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The visitors should have taken an 18th-minute lead when Mats Hummels had a free header, but it was deflected wide for a corner.

It was perhaps a sign of the hosts’ inability to create much or even hold on to the ball for any length of time that the home fans started up a Mexican wave.

Germany almost got the break they needed when a Jerome Boateng volley was deflected into the path of Muller, but he was off-balance and poked his effort wide. Bellarabi’s volley went inches wide, then Muller missed an even bigger chance with five minutes to go to the break when he was put through on goal but went too wide and his shot was off-target.

Bellarabi was denied twice by Szczesny with the Poles desperate for the half time whistle.

So it was a hammer blow to the Germans when the Poles netted with their first attack of the game five minutes after the break. Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek swung in a cross which Manuel Neuer came for and got nowhere near, which allowed Ajax striker Milik to nod the ball over the keeper into the net.

Predictably, the Germans roared back and Mario Götze and Andre Schürrle both went close for the shell-shocked visitors.

Germany’s luck was summed up when sub Lukas Podolski rattled the bar with a thundering volley from 15 yards out.

The Germans kept pouring bodies forward, but Poland netted a second with a couple minutes left on the counter-attack when Lewandowski teed up sub Mila.