Mexico and Poland get their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign underway when they go head to head in Group C at the Stadium 974 on Tuesday.
With Argentina firm favourites to clinch top spot, both nations will be vying for second place and this victory here could be key to their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
The most recent of the previous eight meetings between the sides came in a friendly fixture back in November 2017, when Mexico picked up a hard-fought 1-0 victory courtesy of a first-half strike from Raul Jimenez.
For Gerardo Martino’s men, that result marked a fifth consecutive game without defeat against Poland — a run dating back to June 1978 when they were beaten 3-1 in the group stages of the World Cup.
When are the other Group C games?
Teams will be hoping to get enough points in their three group-stage games to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
The winner of Group C will play the runners-up in Group D, whereas the team that comes second place will play its winners.
Group D contains Tunisia, Australia, Denmark and France.
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Mexico vs. Poland
Saturday, Nov. 26: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia
Saturday, Nov. 26: Argentina vs. Mexico
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Poland vs. Argentina
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico
Since their 1978 defeat, Mexico have picked up two draws and three wins, including a 5-0 friendly victory in February 1985 which marked the biggest result in the history of this fixture.
Czeslaw Michniewicz’s men have also secured three wins against Mexico, with the first two arriving within three days in a friendly double-header back in August 1973.
Mexico vs Poland
Start time: 11 a.m. ET
TV channel: Fox, Telemundo
Live stream: Fox Sports Live, Fox Sports App
Moneyline odds: Mexico +155, Draw +210, Poland +205
Having claimed a 1-0 victory on August 8, goals from Jerzy Gorgon and Robert Gadocha helped the Bialo-Czerwoni pick up a 2-1 win when both nations squared off again three days later at Monterrey’s Estadio Tecnologico.
Poland will now set out to end their winless run against Mexico and kick off their quest for a place in the knockout stages, having suffered a disappointing group-stage exit in Russia four years ago.
Martino reported that Jimenez is progressing positively with the Mexican national team and hopes that he can have minutes in the second match, although he does not rule out a few moments with the Polish national team. For the moment, the coach does not want to force the player.