Lafferty excitement mounts as Poland clash looms

Kyle Lafferty is at near fever pitch for Northern Ireland's debut at the European Championship finals on Sunday against Poland. 

The thousands of fans arriving in Nice for the Group C game have a lot to celebrate. It is also the first time Northern Ireland have appeared at a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup. 

"I've never been so excited about a football match, it's the biggest international for everyone to date," said hotshot striker Lafferty. 

Northern Ireland's top scorer with seven goals in qualifying -- the same number as Real Madrid's Gareth Bale netted to help Wales reach the Euros - Lafferty came through a training injury scare this week to get his place. 

"I've never felt better," said the 28-year-old Norwich City striker whose goals, including one in each of Northern Ireland's opening three wins, did so much to get the team to the finals. 

"To score at a major tournament would be amazing," he added. 

- Lewandowski threat - 
Northern Ireland are outsiders in Group C but begin the tournament on the longest unbeaten run of all 24 teams, a 12-game streak, a record for the side. 

Although only a handful of Michael O'Neill's squad play in England's Premier League, the former financial analyst has moulded a tough unyielding outfit that is dangerous from set-pieces. 

Key to avoiding defeat again on Sunday will be whether centre-backs Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans, both of Premier League side West Bromwich Albion, can stifle Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski, Poland's top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals. 

"If they can have a good night, they can keep Lewandowski quiet," Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn said. 

Poland are desperate to improve on dismal performances at the last two European Championships in 2008 and 2012 which they co-hosted with Ukraine. 

They limped out bottom of the group on both occasions. 

This time round, experienced attacking talents like Jakub Blaszczykowski (Fiorentina), Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) and Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax) are all able to give opponents plenty of headaches. 

Holding midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak also starred for Sevilla in their run to the Europa League title they won against Liverpool in Basle last month. 

With less burden on the 27-year-old Lewandowski, who scored 42 goals in 50 games for Bayern last season, many pundits and supporters fancy the 'Bialo-Czerwoni' (White and Reds) to reach the last 16 at least. 

Poland claimed an historic first win over neighbours Germany - who they meet in the Stade de France on June 16 - at the 19th attempt when they stunned the world champions with a 2-0 win in Warsaw with goals by Milik and Sebastian Mila in a Euro 2016 qualifier in 2014. 

The Germans gained revenge in Frankfurt last September with a 3-1 win. But there will be plenty of spice when Poland faces Germany again at the Stade de France on June 16. 

- 'Punching above our weight' -
"We will beat Northern Ireland 3-0, and face Germany, the big game, with confidence," Pawel Polanski, a 33-year-old fan from Warsaw told AFP Friday on Nice's sun-splashed shorefront the 'Promenade des Anglais'. 

Northern Ireland's expectations are lower but their fans suspect Poland might be vulnerable if their minds are rather focused on the clash with Germany and their third Group C game with another neighbour, Ukraine. 

"Other teams see us as the weak link, but we're happy if they're complacent, we might be able to catch them on the break," Jackie Palmer, 50, from Belfast, told AFP in Nice. 

"We're punching above our weight but we're not just here to make up the numbers," he said.

Source: AFP.