Slovakia defeated 10-man Poland on Monday to earn all three points in their opening EURO 2020 championship match at the Krestovsky Stadium.

Led by Bayern Munich striker, Robert Lewandowski, Poland began the match on a negative note after Juventus goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, handed the Slovaks the lead in the 18th minute through an own goal.

After a poor first half display, Poland gathered momentum in the second half and were rewarded with an equaliser through Karol Linetty in the 46th minute but the drive was soon lost after they were reduced to ten men in the 62nd minute.

Grzegorz Krychowiak was handed a second yellow card by referee Ovidiu Hategan after a rough challenge on Slovakia’s Kucka.
The red card stood despite plea for lininecy from Krychowiak.

According to Squawka Football, Poland became only the second team to score an own goal and have a player sent off in the same European Championship game after Czechoslovakia against the Netherlands in 1976.

Slovakia who managed to clip one of the world’s best strikers, Lewandowski, regained momentum and got the goal through Milan Skriniar who has been instrumental to Lewy’s frustration.

Skriniar found the back of the net with the eventual winning goal in the 69th minute after smashing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner beyond the reach of Szczesny.

Slovakia takes the lead in Group E pending the outcome of the result between Sweden’s cracking encounter with Spain.