Poland come from behind to beat Wales in Nations League opener

Wales’ understudies failed to deliver a World Cup boost as they slipped to a 2-1 Nations League defeat to Poland.

Just four days before their World Cup play-off final, Jonny Williams’ second international goal gave an unfamiliar Wales line-up a 52nd-minute lead in Wroclaw.

But Poland substitutes Jakub Kaminski and Karol Swiderski struck in the final 18 minutes to turn the game on its head and inflict a first defeat on Wales since their Euro 2020 loss to Denmark last summer.

Captain Gareth Bale was absent from Wales’ matchday squad after arriving from Real Madrid’s Champions League celebrations, with boss Robert Page shuffling his pack ahead of Sunday’s decider in Cardiff.

Bale had become the first British player to win the Champions League on five occasions when Real beat Liverpool on Saturday, and Page refused to risk his talismanic forward for the Nations League opener.

Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies and Joe Allen were also rested as Ipswich wing-back Wes Burns won his first cap.

Burns was in Wales’ preliminary squad for Euro 2016 before missing out on the tournament in France.

This was Wales’ first fixture in the top tier of the Nations League following their promotion two years ago, but Page’s team selection was understandable given the magnitude of Sunday’s game.

Poland had secured their own World Cup qualification in March, and skipper Robert Lewandowski was the centre of attention following his promise to quit Bayern Munich this summer.

Jan Bednarek and Mateusz Klich were representing the Premier League, but Aston Villa defender Matty Cash missed out through injury.

Wales fielded an unfamiliar back-three of Chris Gunter, Chris Mepham and Rhys Norrington-Davies and they should have fallen behind in the first minute.

But