against Robert Lewandowski when Scotland host
Poland on Thursday.
Scotland's Russell Martin says he has rarely come up against
an opponent as troublesome as Poland international Robert
Lewandowski.
The Norwich defender helped keep the Bayern Munich forward
off the scoresheet when their two nations met in a 2-2 Euro
2016 qualifiying draw in October 2014.
They will meet in the reverse fixture at Hampden Park on
Thursday, with Lewandowski enjoying a sensational run of form
that has seen him score 12 goals in his last four club matches.
However, Martin is relishing the prospect of taking on the in-
form Pole once again.
"Lewandowski is one of the best I've played against. His goal
record speaks for itself with the form he is in at the minute,"
Martin told Sky Sports.
"He is different but as a defender I always look at a striker's
attributes and think where you can affect them and try and
influence them throughout the game.
"Players like him, [Thomas] Muller and [Mario] Gotze of
Germany, who are in our group, are all among the top five or six
in Europe at the moment, so it's up to us to go and stop him.
"I relish the challenge. I enjoy playing against players like that
and that is why I have worked so hard throughout my career, to
test myself against players like that.
"We are doing it week in week out in the Premier League and
this will be no different."
Scotland cannot qualify automatically for next year's
competition in France but a place in the play-offs is still a
posibility.
With that in mind, Martin knows Gordon Strachan's men cannot
afford to drop points on Thursday.
"We have to go and win the game on Thursday, it's as simple as
that," he added.
"They are a good side but we have done well against them
previously, twice, not too long ago.
"Looking back at the games against Georgia and Germany,
they're gone now. It's all about the present and making sure we
go into Thursday knowing exactly what we want to do and get
what we want from the game."
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