Scotland might have been feeble offensively at Euro 2024, but that is only likely to be used as a spur to be more attacking in this game. Despite this, Steve Clarke’s side have scored in nine of their last 11 competitive matches, dating back to the beginning of Euro 2024 qualifying.

Defensively, Scotland leave much to be desired, especially against high-level opponents. While Poland do not quite fall into this category, they are readily comparable to Switzerland and Hungary, who each managed to generate more than 1 xG against Scotland. Indeed, the hosts have kept only one clean sheet in their last 12 – and that was against Gibraltar.

Poland have been poor defensively, too. They have kept only one clean sheet across their last eight matches, which was against Wales in the Euro 2024 play-off final – a tense affair.

The head-to-head record between these nations also points to both teams scoring. Five of the last six meetings have seen both teams score, including a 1-1 draw when the teams faced off just over a two ago at Hampden in a repeat of this fixture.

With a lack of consistent threat coming from Scotland’s strikers, Scott McTominay has been their offensive ace for the best part of 18 months and was the only member of Clarke’s squad to score at Euro 2024 (Scotland’s other goal was an own goal scored by Germany’s Antonio Rudiger).

McTominay has managed shots on target in six of 11 competitive international matches, playing a role in which he is ideally suited to causing a threat as he breaks into the box late to meet crosses or cutbacks.

A lack of playing time at club level might actually suit him coming into this international break. His legs should be fresh after managing just 82 minutes for Manchester United across three fixtures, while he will be eager to show new head coach Antonio Conte at Napoli just what he can do in an attacking sense.

Scotland were criticised for using him as their set-piece taker at Euro 2024 because of the aerial threat that he poses in the box. If logic wins out, this should be changed here, which could offer another route to a shot on target for the ex-United man.

Lens wing-back Frankowski is prolific when it comes to giving away free kicks at international level. At Euro 2024, he committed at least one foul in each of Poland’s three matches when deployed in a wing-back role.

Across Frankowski’s last 11 competitive appearances for Poland, there have only been three games in which he has not given away a free kick. These came in the Euro 2024 play-offs against Estonia (in which he played only 45 minutes before being rested) and Wales, plus an away trip to Moldova, in which he played little more than an hour. These games are the only fixtures in which he has been replaced before full time for Poland.

He has committed at least one foul in each of the three club matches in which he has played more than 20 minutes this season.

Frankowski will take responsibility for policing Andy Robertson, who is liable to be Scotland’s main attacking outlet down the left-hand side. Robertson won free kicks in two of the three Euro 2024 matches, when he was given the type of prominence offensively that he will probably be presented with in this encounter.

Inter Milan midfielder Zielinski was one of Poland’s biggest goal threats at Euro 2024, posting eight shots and three on target. Both of these were high figures for his country. He managed at least one shot on target in all three games that he played.

Since Michal Probierz took charge last September, Zielinski has been given an increasingly attacking role. He has had at least one shot on target in six of his last nine competitive international fixtures, including a couple under the previous coach.

A senior figure in the squad, he is willing to take on significant responsibilities and is happy to shoot from range. Indeed, his average shot distance at Euro 2024 was from well outside the box. This means that his efforts have a relatively low chance of finding the net.

He is yet to play a minute of competitive football at Inter this season, which should mean that he approaches this game with an attitude of having much to prove. Furthermore, it also means that he is very likely to play the full 90 minutes, increasing his chances of finding the target substantially. Even in regular circumstances, he has rarely been replaced before the closing minutes.

Lewandowski is Poland’s runaway goal threat, having scored 83 times in 152 international caps. Two of these came on his only previous visit to Hampden, which saw him net a stoppage-time equaliser to eliminate Scotland from Euro 2016.

Having just celebrated his 36th birthday late last month, he remains a tremendous goal threat. This is illustrated by the fact that he has scored four goals in four appearances for Barcelona in La Liga this season, netting in three different games.

The Barcelona man scored one of Poland’s three goals at Euro 2024, despite playing only 121 minutes. His performance at that tournament, where he netted a penalty, was hampered by a thigh injury that prevented him having any role in the opening game whatsoever and lessened his effectiveness thereafter.

Across Poland’s international fixtures since March 2023, Lewandowski has scored 11 goals in 12 appearances but has netted at a rate of 1.10 per 90 minutes that he has played. Against a Scotland team that is notoriously weak defensively, he will fancy his chances of continuing this trend by finding the net.

Scotland were bitterly disappointing at Euro 2024, with John McGinn unable to exert the influence that he has for Steve Clarke’s side so regularly in the past. What the Aston Villa ace did do, however, was generate a huge foul count. He won nine fouls across the three matches that he played, doing so at a rate of 3.46 per 90 minutes.

McGinn is liable to be deployed just behind a central striker and will be asked to cause a nuisance of himself in that area. He has proven to be an expert at winning free kicks in this role, with his tireless attitude troubling evening disciplined defensive midfield players.

Here, he will likely be head-to-head with Jakub Moder, who committed 1.16 fouls per 90 for Brighton last season, Bartosz Slisz, who is committing 0.95 fouls per 90 for Atlanta United, and Zielinski, who committed 0.7 per 90 with Napoli last term.

Across Scotland’s last 11 competitive international matches, McGinn has won at least two fouls on eight occasions, and with a point to prove in this match, he is liable to be highly active in this capacity once again.