The PGE Narodowy chanted Robert Lewandowski's name after the striker completed a hat-trick in Poland's convincing 6-0 win over Romania, reopening the promotion race and dispelling questions that had been asked for weeks about whether he was past his prime.
The red card to Radu Drăgușin and the award of a penalty immediately provoked debate over the double jeopardy ruling, but the consequences on the pitch were stark. Urs Schnyder dismissed the Romanian defender for a foul that also handed Poland their opener, and Lewandowski beat Otto Hindrich from the spot to give Jan Urban's side a lead they never looked like surrendering.
Lewandowski strikes twice in four second-half minutes
The second goal arrived 47 minutes in when Nicola Zalewski drove down the flank and picked out Lewandowski with a low delivery, the striker slotting home for a two-goal lead. Two minutes later, Zalewski was the provider again — but this time Virgil Ghiță accidentally redirected the low cross into his own net, and the contest was effectively over.
Piotr Zieliński grabbed the fourth in the 62nd minute after intercepting a poor backpass from Răzvan Marin and finishing past Hindrich. Jan Bednarek then headed home the fifth from a Sebastian Szymański corner in the 66th, before Lewandowski sealed his treble with a right-footed strike into the bottom-right corner from the centre of the penalty box after Oskar Pietuszewski fed him through indecisive defending.
Relief for Urban as Romania sink ever lower
The 6-0 win ended Poland's five-game winless skid in all competitions and a seven-game winless run in the Nations League. For Lewandowski, the match was particularly significant: he scored his 92nd international goal for Poland, overtaking Mokhtar Dahari to claim outright sixth place on the all-time men's international goalscoring list.
Gheorghe Hagi is making a different kind of history. The Romania manager became the first in Romania's history to lose his first three competitive fixtures in charge, with his side now nailed to the foot of Group B4 without a point. Poland's 67 percent possession and 24 total shots testified to complete dominance, though Lewandowski's 42nd-minute yellow card for stepping on Andrei Coubiș means he will miss the next fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina — the only blemish on the celebration.
Marcel Reguła made his senior international debut in a match where the anxious first-half atmosphere was replaced by loud celebration in the second. The victory moves Poland to third on four points and puts them back in contention after a stuttering start that had left Urban under severe pressure.
Match Information
Competition: UEFA Nations League
Date & Time: Friday 2 October 2026, 20:45 CEST
Venue: National Stadium Warsaw, Warsaw
Referee: Urs Schnyder
