Ukraine 0-1 Poland: Jakub Blaszczykowski strike sends Adam Nawalka's side into last 16

Jakub Blaszczykowski's second-half strike saw Poland beat Ukraine 1-0 to progress to the last 16 of Euro 2016 as runners-up in Group C on Tuesday afternoon.

The substitute fired home into the roof of the net nine minutes into the second half at the Stade Velodrome as Adam Nawalka's side finished level on points with Germany.

However, Poland finished second behind the world champions on goal difference, meaning they will now play Switzerland in the last 16, while Ukraine exit the competition having not collected a point or scored a goal.

Poland made a number of changes from the team that held Germany last time out, one enforced with Lukasz Fabianski replacing the injured Wojciech Szczesny in goal.

Meanwhile, Nawalka also opted to hand Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski - who has been heavily linked with a summer move to Liverpool - a start, with Poland taking the game to their opponents right from the very off.

In fact, Poland really should have been ahead inside the opening five minutes, only to pass up two presentable openings in front of goal.

The first - after just three minutes - fell to Arkadiusz Milik, but having been played through on goal by Robert Lewandowski's lovely back-heel, the Ajax striker shot straight at Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov from a tight angle.

Moments later it was Milik's chance to turn provider as his inviting ball across the box picked out his strike partner, only for the normally deadly Bayern Munich attacker to blaze wastefully over the bar from just six yards out.

Those misses appeared to stir Ukraine - with nothing to play for expect pride - into life, with Mykhaylo Fomenko's men then taking charge of the contest for the remainder of the half.

However, much like Poland in the early exchanges, when they did get behind their opponents' back line, Ukraine's finishing was equally wasteful, and none more so than Andriy Yarmolenko.

The Dynamo Kiev winger was sent through one on one with Fabianski after 17 minutes, but he pulled his effort horribly wide of the target.

Polish nerves were soothed, though, on the half-hour mark by news of Germany taking the lead against Northern Ireland, and their place in the knockout rounds looked even more assured after 54 minutes.

Milik played a right-wing corner short before feeding Blaszczykowski in the box, and the Borussia Dortmund winger then showed quick feet before beating Pyatov with a powerful shot high into the corner of the goal.

Poland - top scorers on the road to Euro 2016 - should have doubled their lead minutes later after a quick counter, only for midfielder Bartosz Kapustka to fire into the side-netting after being released by Lewandowski's pass.

The Poland captain himself endured a frustrating afternoon in attack, however, as he looked for his first goal of the tournament.

But with Ukraine barely threatening thereafter, Poland were able to see out the remainder of the encounter with few real alarms as they look forward to a clash with Switzerland in Saint-Etienne on Saturday afternoon.