Key occasions
18 min: … so having stated that, Doak spins Gvardiol with absurd ease down the proper touchline. That’s sensational! He rips alongside the flank, glides infield, and rolls throughout the face of the Croatian field for McTominay, who fires low and exhausting in direction of the underside proper. Kotarski, making his aggressive debut within the Croatian objective, seems for a nook.
16 min: Gvardiol juggles his well past Doak down the left to win one more nook. Scotland have been hoping the Gvardiol-Doak dynamic would play out the opposite manner round. However right here we’re. The nook results in Baturina dancing down the left, solely to run the ball out for a objective kick with team-mates ready within the center. Scotland are being run ragged right here.
14 min: Some pinball within the Scotland field. Gvardiol, who has been discovering the online usually for Manchester Metropolis, lurks, forcing Souttar to poke out for a nook. Scotland cope with the set piece, however they’re not coping with very a lot else. A Croatia objective feels not more than a matter of time. Minutes, and never a lot of them both.
13 min: Petar Sučić is clattered from behind by Hanley. Free kick out on the proper. Hanley lucky not to enter the e book. Earlier than the free kick may be taken, Jakić goes over holding his proper knee. He will get again up finally, however nonetheless appears in actual ache. Unsure what occurred there.
11 min: That was some save by Gordon, by the way in which. Not so flash, in reality it regarded fairly scruffy, however he did so effectively to regulate and react to get something on Kramarić’s shot. It was heading in in any other case. “In my city, there was a strip joint named Flesh Gordon,” writes Mike MacKenzie, earlier than including for authorized functions: “I solely know this from having pushed by it.”
9 min: Croatia slice by way of the Scotland midfield once more. Kramarić dribbles into the field from the left and provides Gordon the eyes. He rolls in direction of the bottom-left nook, the keeper having been initially despatched the flawed manner. However Gordon adjusts and stands proud a protracted leg to stud the ball across the submit. Nothing comes of the ensuing nook, however Scotland can’t carry on like this.
7 min: Someplace within the multiverse, Croatia are already 2-0 up because of a few dozy midfield errors. The hosts must get up quicksmart.
5 min: A torpid Gilmour is skittled off the ball by Kovačić. Exhausting however honest. The peerlessly timed lunge sends Croatia on one other bonus assault. Kramarić can’t make area to shoot from a place on the left. The ball’s shuttled proper to Luka Sučić, who leans again and hoicks over. Scotland get away with one other huge mistake.
4 min: No thought what McLean was attempting to attain there. He was beneath no stress in anyway.
3 min: McLean performs a comically terrible backpass straight to Kramarić, who spares the Scotland midfielder’s blushes by dragging a weak shot broad proper.
2 min: A gradual begin to the sport. The YouTube protection – disgracefully, this isn’t on UK tv – is a bit jittery. Except I’ve had an excessive amount of espresso. “I appear to recall Flash Gordon proclaiming ‘The sport’s misplaced! Cease your assault on Earth and I’ll spare your life!’,” reminisces Justin Kavanagh. “I’m undecided Luka Modric goes to purchase that argument in his chequerboard spacesuit.”
Croatia get the ball rolling. “I’ll keep tuned to learn how Flash Gordon fares in opposition to Modric the Cruel,” guarantees comic-book man Peter Oh.
The groups are out! Scotland in windswept and fascinating darkish blue, Croatia in that iconic red-and-white checkerboard. Everybody wanting rattling fantastic. Hampden is moist, however Hampden is occurring. Roar! We’ll be off in a few minutes. “The Flash Gordon theme is certainly glorious,” agrees Scott Blair. “Far be it from me to recommend that there will need to have been a current full overhaul of the SFA ‘sense of humour’ committee. Thoughts you, from what I recall of watching the exploits of the unique Flash on the, ahem, cinema within the early 70s … he all the time left you in inconceivable jeopardy when the episode completed. In order that’s all good.”
A reminder of how Group A1 appears going into its ultimate double-header. Nothing’s determined but, aside from Portugal and Croatia being secure from computerized relegation. What we do know is that ought to Poland’s lead to Portugal tonight higher Scotland’s in opposition to Croatia, the Scots shall be relegated to League B. Scotland can in concept nonetheless end in second spot, however for that to occur, they’d must at the very least match Croatia’s earlier 2-1 win over them, then hope all of the items land jam facet up on Monday night as effectively. Most likely finest to not get too far forward of ourselves by wrestling with that set of possibilities simply but.
-
Portugal P4 W3 D1 L0 F7 A3 Pts 10
-
Croatia P4 W2 D1 L1 F7 A6 Pts 7
-
Poland P4 W1 D1 L2 F7 A9 Pts 4
-
Scotland P4 W0 D1 L3 F4 A7 Pts 1
The quilt of tonight’s programme options Craig Gordon rendered within the fashion of an old-school comic-book hero. It appears good, it’s a witty conceit, and Gordon, nonetheless going at 41 after serving Scotland effectively in 77 earlier appearances, is most definitely deserving of the honour and a spotlight. However you do have to wonder if the programme editor is enjoying quick and unfastened with the Soccer Gods, given that ought to something occur to Gordon this night, Steve Clarke shall be pressured to ship on a debutant in both Robby McCrorie or Cieran Slicker. McCrorie, 26, has 12 appearances for Kilmarnock this season to his identify, having simply ended a irritating spell at Rangers; Slicker, 22, has two League Cup appearances for his present membership Ipswich on his CV, plus 5 EFL Trophy outings for Manchester Metropolis U21s and one other for Rochdale. Ought to both be known as upon tonight, we may have essentially the most heartwarming rags-to-riches substitute-goalie story since Nigel Spink within the 1982 European Cup ultimate on our arms. God velocity, every person.
Tonight’s Scotland XI is infused with a tincture o’Tees: Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway, with 5 Championship targets to his identify this season already, makes his first begin for his nation, whereas in-form club-mate Ben Doak is there from the off for a 3rd recreation in a row. Conway is the one change from the group that began the goalless draw with Portugal final month, taking the place of the absent Torino striker Ché Adams. John McGinn, who has been out and in of the Aston Villa facet just lately, is probably surprisingly solely on the bench.
The groups
Scotland: Gordon, Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, Doak, McTominay, Christie, Conway.
Subs: Slicker, McCrorie, McGinn, Dykes, Shankland, Taylor, Barron, Porteous, McKenna, Armstrong, Gauld, Devlin.
Croatia: Kotarski, Jakić, Šutalo, Ćaleta-Automobile, Gvardiol, Modrić, Kovačić, Baturina, Petar Sučić, Luka Sučić, Kramarić.
Subs: Labrović, Ivušić, Pongračić, Moro, Pašalić, Vlašić, Perišić, Pašalić, Oršić, Sosa, Pjaca, Matanović.
Referee: Orel Tsvika Grinfeeld (Israel)
VAR: Ziv Adler (Israel)
Preamble
4 matches in Group A1 have led to 3 defeats and one draw, however Scotland aren’t performed simply but. They might be on an all-time-worst run of ten aggressive fixtures with out a win, six of these video games misplaced, however they haven’t been that unhealthy on this Nations League marketing campaign. They’ve carried out effectively in patches in opposition to three groups of a a lot larger rank; they’ve suffered extra last-gasp heartache than appears strictly honest; and so they’ve had completely no luck, a commodity even the perfect groups must depend on every so often. A optimistic outcome tonight, one which at the very least matches Poland’s effort in Portugal, will keep Scotland’s faint hopes of avoiding relegation again to League B. Can they get one in opposition to the runners-up on this competitors final 12 months? It’s a giant ask, however Scotland have pulled off dafter heists up to now. They’ve additionally gone out of many a contest with barely a whimper, however let’s deal with the positives for now. Kick-off is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!
