POZNAN, Poland. June 9 – Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski netted a spectacular opener but, after Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski doubled the lead and Diego Valdes pulled one back, Chile substitute Miiko Albornoz fired a leveller of comparable quality.
Final Score: Poland – Chile 2:2
Adam Nawalka’s Poland face Lithuania next, just seven days before their Group H opener against Senegal.
Guillermo Maripan’s aimless pass into midfield was cut out by Grzegorz Krychowiak in the 30th minute and Lewandowski still had plenty to do when he received his team-mate’s pass.
He did it with aplomb, thundering into the top-left corner from 20 yards and it was soon 2-0 – Kamil Grosicki getting the better of Paulo Diaz under a high ball and cutting back for Zielinski to coolly finish.
Valdes glanced in Angelo Sagal’s left-wing cross to reduce the arrears and end a dizzying spell of three goals in eight-and-a-half minutes.
Chile’s leveller was sublime when it arrived four minutes before the hour, Alboronoz making light of a scuffed first attempt being blocked by lashing the bouncing ball beyond helpless substitute goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from 25 yards.
It was an awe-inspiring moment to underline how the two-time reigning Copa America champions may be sorely missed at Russia 2018 as a new era starts to find its feet under Reinaldo Rueda.
Zielinski’s Napoli colleague Arkadiusz Milik should have won it for Poland 15 minutes from time but dinked into the side-netting after a cute one-two with fellow substitute Lukasz Teodorczyk.
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Poland – Chile 2:2 (2:1)
Goals: Lewandowski 30′, Zieliński 34′ – Valdés 38′, Albornoz 56′
Yellow carded: Vegas, Araos
Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni (Italy) Attendance: 41 216
Poland: 1. Wojciech Szczęsny (46, 22. Łukasz Fabiański) – 20. Łukasz Piszczek (46, 4. Thiago Cionek), 5. Jan Bednarek, 2. Michał Pazdan, 13. Maciej Rybus (82, 18. Bartosz Bereszyński) – 16. Jakub Błaszczykowski, 10. Grzegorz Krychowiak, 8. Karol Linetty (46, 7. Arkadiusz Milik), 19. Piotr Zieliński, 11. Kamil Grosicki (67, 6. Jacek Góralski) – 9. Robert Lewandowski (74, 14. Łukasz Teodorczyk)
Chile: 12. Gabriel Arias – 5. Paulo Díaz (87, 4. Francisco Sierralta), 3. Enzo Roco, 6. Guillermo Maripán, 26. Sebastián Vegas (35, 2. Miiko Albornoz) – 18. Ángelo Sagal (82, 24. José Bizama), 27. Jimmy Martínez (68, 15. Ángelo Araos), 21. Lorenzo Reyes, 10. Diego Valdés, 7. Júnior Fernandes – 9. Nicolás Castillo (87, 25. Cristián Cuevas)
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