Preview: Scotland head to Greece for crucial World Cup qualifier
After 27 years of hurt, six failed qualification attempts and 57 games, Scotland have an excellent chance of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
A trip to Greece is up first on Saturday evening, before a potential winner takes all showdown against Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday night.
For that to happen, Steve Clarke’s men must match Denmark’s result in the penultimate set of matches. If so, whoever wins in Glasgow next week will seal an automatic World Cup place.
Is it now or never for Scotland?
Scotland may have qualified for the previous two European Championship tournaments, yet their displays at said finals posed more questions than answers.
Two underwhelming group stage exits perhaps indicate that this could be Clarke’s final hurray as Scotland boss. Recent results have been more uplifting, losing just two of the previous 11 matches.
Before that, however, the Scots won just once between September 2023 and October 2024. Even so, that was against Gibraltar.
Clarke has a squad brimming with talent. Players such as Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson are plying their trade in Serie A, while Ben Gannon Doak, Lennon Miller and Kieran Bowie represent the future generation.
This is a golden chance for Scotland to end their near 28-year World Cup exile. Should they reach North America, performances will have to be far better than what was on show at the 2024 European Championship.
Greece haven’t qualified for a major tournament since 2014
Greece’s stunning triumph at the 2004 Euros feels like a very long time ago now. Since then, they have qualified for just four major tournaments.
The last one came at the 2014 World Cup, reaching the knockout stages. Despite having talented youngsters such as Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas and Stefanos Tzimas, Greece have stumbled during the current campaign, winning just one game.
They may have been the better team when these two sides met last time out at Hampden, yet the Greeks still ended up the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat.
Thoughts now turn to qualifying for the 2028 Euros, which will begin next year.
Team news
Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and forward Fotis Ioannidis will both be absent for the match against Scotland this Saturday.
Clarke will be without the services of Miller and Ross McCrorie, with the two midfielders pulling out of the squad due to injury issues.
Gilmour will also be missing, but he could return for the crunch tie against Denmark next week.
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn isn’t in the squad either, which could see Clarke bring Craig Gordon into the starting XI for his 82nd international cap.
Prediction
Despite Greece’s struggles in the group, travelling to Piraeus, knowing that they must match Denmark’s result, is something Clarke would preferred to have avoided.
As such, the clash could turn into a tight affair, with Scotland aiming for the point needed to turn ensure they have the chance to secure qualification at a sold-out Hampden on Tuesday evening.
We at FotMob predict a drab 1-1 draw.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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