Scotland kept their hopes of staying in the Nations League’s top tier alive with a crucial 1-0 victory over Croatia at Hampden Park.
Scotland finally broke their Nations League duck and snapped a long winless streak with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Croatia at Hampden Park, thanks to a late strike from substitute John McGinn.
McGinn pounced on a rebound after Ben Doak’s shot was parried by Dominik Kotarski, sending Hampden into a frenzy with his 19th international goal. The win breathes life into Scotland’s hopes of staying in Nations League A, with a potential relegation play-off on the line if they secure another result in Poland on Monday.
A win in Warsaw could even lead to a Nations League quarter-final spot and a top seed in the World Cup qualifying draw, but only if Croatia lose to Portugal and there’s a significant goal difference swing. For now, though, Steve Clarke’s men will simply celebrate this hard-fought win after 10 competitive games without one.
The first half, however, was a nerve-wracking watch for the Tartan Army. Croatia dominated early on, exploiting Scotland’s mistakes. Kenny McLean’s errant pass almost gifted Andrej Kramaric a goal, while Luka Sucic and Kramaric came close to punishing further sloppy play. Craig Gordon’s outstretched foot just about denied Kramaric in the opening 10 minutes.
The tide turned in Scotland’s favour when Croatia’s Petar Sucic saw red for a second yellow card in what looked like an innocuous challenge on John Souttar. Croatia were outraged, but the decision shifted the momentum entirely.
Scotland regrouped during the break, and the second half was a different story. The introduction of Ben Doak proved pivotal, as the teenager’s pace and energy gave Croatia’s defence nightmares. Doak came close on multiple occasions, while Billy Gilmour squandered a couple of chances to play the youngster through in dangerous positions.
Croatia had their moments, with Mario Pasalic narrowly missing after a sublime Luka Modric pass, but the visitors failed to capitalise. When Doak’s late shot caused chaos in the box, McGinn was there to clean up and seal the win.
Although Scotland couldn’t find the second goal to give them the head-to-head advantage over Croatia, this result injects much-needed belief into their campaign. The Hampden crowd’s roar at full-time was deafening, but the focus now shifts to Poland, where a win could keep their Nations League dreams alive.
The road to recovery is far from over, but Scotland proved they still have fight left in them. Monday’s game is a chance to build on this momentum and finish their campaign on a high.
