Poland striker Ebi Smolarek admits his country's hopes of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup hinge on the match with host nation Germany.

A 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in their opener in Gelsenkirchen has left the Poles facing the possibility of being the first team to be eliminated from this year's tournament.

Smolarek, who plays his club football for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, is aware of the gravity of the situation.

He said: "The game with Germany will already be like a final for us."