Player Profile: Bartosz Bereszyński

The starting right-back for Sampdoria, Bartosz Bereszyński is one of the more experienced players in Poland’s squad this year. He is 30 years old and has notched up 46 caps for Poland.

Bereszyński has had a less-than-ideal season so far for Sampdoria, as they languish near the bottom of the Serie A. He has started every single game for them this season.

While he’s not known for his offensive capabilities and is an average ball carrier and dribbler, Bereszyński excels at the defensive side of his game. He often leads tackling charts in the Serie A. Taller than others at his position at 6’, he is also adept aerially. Bereszyński also shows the positional awareness and intelligence required to be in the right place to intercept passes and block shots. He is also rather aggressive in his tackling and receives a lot of cards.

Bereszyński is not a modern full-back who bombs up the wing. He takes on the traditional duties of a full-back and prefers to hold the line rather than be an offensive threat. This means he might sometimes be looked upon as a one-dimensional player. When Matty Cash changed his nationality to be eligible for the Polish team, it was Bereszyński who gave way. This meant that Bereszyński’s role shifted from that of a nailed-on right-back to a role player who can fit into multiple different positions in the backline, mainly brought on for defensive solidarity.

If Poland does move forward with 3 man central defense, it might make it tough for Bereszyński to stake a place in one of the wing-back slots. He will face tough competition from Nicola Zalewski in the left wing-back slot, as Cash will likely be nailed on the right.

Poland will have their work cut out for them to make it out of Group C. Argentina, Poland, and Mexico will vie for the 2 spots but Bereszyński could be the defensive linchpin to help Poland make it to the knockouts.