Scotland's hopes for automatic qualification to the 2026 World Cup remain alive despite a narrow 3-2 loss to Greece, who played with ten men in Piraeus. The Scots struggled initially, trailing after goals
from Tasos Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas, and Christos Tzolis. Despite Greece's elimination from contention, they dominated early on, with Bakasetas scoring in the seventh minute after Vangelis Pavlidis' shot was saved.
In the first half, Scotland had chances but failed to capitalise. Scott McTominay hit the post, Che Adams missed a header, and Ben Gannon-Doak was stopped by Odysseas Vlachodimos. Greece extended their lead in the second half when Karetsas scored from Andrews Tetteh's pass in the 57th minute. Six minutes later, Craig Gordon couldn't stop Tzolis' long-range effort.
Gannon-Doak quickly responded with a goal for Scotland, narrowing the deficit. Ryan Christie further reduced it by heading Andy Robertson's cross into the net in the 70th minute. McTominay nearly equalised but was denied by Vlachodimos' excellent save. Although Bakasetas received a second yellow card for a foul on Lewis Ferguson, Greece held on for victory.
After the match, Scotland's players anxiously awaited news from Copenhagen. Denmark faced Belarus in Group C action. A late winner eluded Denmark as they drew 2-2 with Belarus. This result means Scotland can secure automatic qualification if they defeat Brian Riemer's team at Hampden Park on Tuesday.
Tuesday night, Hampden Park. It all comes down to this.
Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT)
Analysing Match Statistics
Before facing Greece, Scotland had not conceded in four away games this year—three wins and one draw—matching their longest clean sheet streak on the road since 1925-1927. However, Greece dismantled them with 11 shots and an expected goals (xG) of 1.37 in the first half compared to Scotland's five shots and 0.8 xG.
The second half saw both teams take seven shots each. Yet, Scotland led the xG battle with 1.39 against Greece's 0.51 after halftime. Despite these efforts, Denmark's draw against Belarus became pivotal for Scotland's qualification hopes.
Scotland now faces a crucial match against Denmark at Hampden Park on Tuesday. Victory will ensure their place in the World Cup without relying on other results. The team's resilience will be tested as they aim to secure their spot on football’s biggest stage.
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