Nations League : Lewandoski hat-trick as Poland thrash Romania 6-0

Robert Lewandowski marked his 170th appearance for Poland with a clinical hat-trick as the hosts demolished Romania 6-0 in their UEFA Nations League Group B4 clash at a raucous PGE Narodowy in Warsaw.

The evening’s decisive moment arrived in the 22nd minute when Radu Drăgușin was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on the Poland captain as the last man. Lewandowski stepped up two minutes later and coolly converted the resulting penalty to give the home side a deserved lead.

Poland controlled proceedings thereafter, though Romania remained organised until the break. The second half, however, turned into a rout. Within four minutes of the restart Lewandowski doubled the advantage, finishing neatly after Nicola Zalewski’s incisive run and cut-back. Almost immediately Virgil Ghiță turned a Przemysław Frankowski effort into his own net to make it 3-0.

Piotr Zieliński added a fourth on 62 minutes, capitalising on hesitant defending, before Jan Bednarek rose highest to head home Sebastian Szymański’s corner four minutes later. Lewandowski completed his treble in the 86th minute, collecting a pass from substitute Oskar Pietuszewski, dancing past two challenges and slotting into the bottom corner for his 92nd international goal.

The victory was Poland’s first of the campaign and lifted them to four points from three matches, keeping promotion hopes alive. Romania, reduced to ten men for more than an hour and already without a point, remain rooted to the bottom of the group after a third successive defeat. A crowd of just over 51,000 left the National Stadium in celebratory mood after watching one of Poland’s most emphatic home performances in recent years.