Ewan Murray was at Hampden, and his report has landed. Here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Steve Clarke gives his verdict to Viaplay. “Delighted with the performance from the first minute to last minute … it is a big night and feels like a step forward … but it’s only six points and you don’t qualify with six points … when we had the ball we looked a threat … we didn’t have an awful lot of possession but what we had we used well … all the credit goes to the players who had to do the hard yards … speaking to them in the dressing room, they’re physically but also mentally tired because they’re thinking about where the Spanish players are going to be … it was competitive, both teams, that’s the way it is … we know we’ve been out-passed, but when you look at shots on target, it’s almost equal, so it means we utilised the ball when we had it very well … we kept the intensity … I’m looking forward to something cold going down my throat in a minute … obviously water!”
Scotland captain Andy Robertson talks to Viaplay. “Loved it … we knew we had to get off to a good start, put them under pressure and get the fans with it … the second half was a really professional performance and shows you how far we’ve come … the gaffer has been consistent and now we’ve got plenty of experience and that makes a huge difference … we had a lot of experience on the pitch and then subs came on and killed the game … we had belief … it’s important we don’t get carried away … it’s six points, which is a great start, but unfortunately six points don’t qualify you for the Euros … we’ve got two massive games in June and if we come out of that with the points we think we need, we’ll be in a good position … we have to put in the same determination and desire we shown tonight … that gives us a chance in any game … look at the bench, it’s full of quality … look at the lads we’ve not used all week like Billy Gilmour … the wee man’s been training so well, Fergie, these young lads coming in and pushing us … now we have to keep performing … it’s a joy to be captain of these lads … we’ve got so many leaders and young lads that will become leaders … the staff behind the scenes put in so much effort and it’s good to reward them with six points.”
A smiling Scott McTominay speaks to Viaplay. “Obviously we did really, really well … we knew they’d have a lot of the ball … the manager said we needed to be clinical when we had our opportunities and we had more than enough tonight to really hurt them and score some goals … as a kid I was an attacking midfielder and got a little too big for that, the little ones in between the lines! … I’m more of a sitting player but I like to get in the box and help my team-mates defend as well … I know I can add more goals to my game and the last two games are proof of that … everyone on the pitch was diving around … it was a difficult night for the referee because everyone was making the most of everything … but that’s sometimes what it’s got to be … you’ve got to do stuff like that … look at this place, it’s incredible … these are the nights that people will remember in 20, 30 years!”
Scotland beat Spain for the first time since 1984 … and they deserve all the plaudits! Steve Clarke’s rejuvenated side go three points clear at the top of Group A after seeing off the 1964, 2008 and 2012 champions with a performance for the ages. Scott McTominay will rightly be awarded hero status for his two goals, but there’s not a player on the pitch who didn’t leave everything out there, performing with passion, verve and style. Everyone in Hampden is in party mode after witnessing Scotland’s most significant win since the France-bothering days of the Euro 2008 qualifiers. What an evening!
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FULL TIME: Scotland 2-0 Spain
Yes sir, they can boogie!
90 min +6: McGregor powers his way past Gavi on the right. He slips infield for Shankland, whose shot bobbles straight at Kepa, who gathers. McTominay hugs the keeper and picks up a yellow for his trouble. No matter, though, because…
90 min +5: Hampden finally allows itself to believe. What a noise! This is quite the commotion!
90 min +4: Scotland are so close now. So close.
90 min +3: Gavi crosses from the right. Cooper is forced to head behind for a corner. Gavi plays it short. It’s worked this way and that, and then Pino slices a wild effort wide right from distance. Goal kick, and there’s another incident celebrated almost as much as McTominay’s goals.
90 min +1: The first of six extra minutes goes by without incident. Nobody bothers feigning surprise at the high number on the board. To be fair, Scotland have pushed their luck once or twice at restarts, substitutions and the like, so fair’s fair to Spain.
90 min: Shankland comes on for Dykes, who has battled brilliantly from the get-go tonight. The departing striker gets the ovation he deserves.
89 min: Williams is causing all sorts of bother down the right. He crosses. Rodri tries to meet the ball on the edge of the box but chunks Porteous to the floor. More whistle-fuelled relief for Scotland.
88 min: Scotland half clear the corner. Williams and Gavi attempt a cute combination down the inside-right channel. Robertson pushes up and catches Williams offside. Blessed relief.
87 min: This is a proper game of attack versus defence now. Scotland sitting back, trying their hardest to hold their shape. Spain probing but not finding a way through. Hampden draws its breath collectively as Gavi crosses from the left and Hanley slices it over the bar. Just a corner.
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86 min: Williams has been lively and worms his way down the right to earn a Spanish corner. But the visitors over-elaborate, playing it short before Carvajal clanks it out for a goal kick.
84 min: Aspas is booked for deliberately clattering into Porteous as the pair contest a high ball. Aspas then pushes his luck by performing the mouth-zip mime as Scotland make the case for a red. It wasn’t a good challenge, but a sending off would have been harsh.
83 min: … then McGinn makes way for Ferguson. All of that took a while, and the replacement referee made a performative point of tapping at his watch. Expect plenty of added time.
82 min: Hickey has been labouring for a while, and he goes down before being replaced by Patterson.
81 min: It’s been sheer bedlam in Hampden all evening, but the atmosphere is descending into a rolling rumble of anxiety. A huge result so close, yet still so very far away, and Scotland supporters have plenty of emotional scar tissue all right.
79 min: Spain make their last roll of the dice. Gavi comes on for Ceballos.
78 min: Dykes launches long in the hope of releasing Robertson down the inside-left channel. Hampden roars, then sighs as Garcia gets in the road to intercept and clear.
76 min: A yellow card for Gunn, who was taking his sweet time over a goal kick.
75 min: … while Tierney takes an age to depart, much to Spain’s annoyance. He’s eventually replaced by Cooper.
74 min: Yep, Scotland prepare a double change. Christie makes way for McLean …
72 min: Iglesias is skittled by Hickey out on the left. The free kick’s hit long for Williams, who turns Porteous inside and out like an old sock, before dribbling a poor shot from a tight angle into the arms of Gunn. Signs that Scotland are beginning to tire. No wonder. They’ve put in the mother, father and extended family of all shifts so far.
71 min: Eventually the corner’s taken and ends up in Gunn’s arms. As Gunn prepares to drop the ball to the ground and launch it, the crowd make him aware of Iglesias, lurking in the net. Gunn turns and spots the saucy Spaniard, waiting for him to bugger off before clearing.
70 min: Gaya races down the left and whacks a cross off Hickey’s lug. Corner. Hickey rolls off the pitch, then rolls back on it, to ensure the game can’t restart without him. Aspas comes across with a view to rolling him back off it. A stramash. This all is marvellously petty.
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68 min: Iglesias comes on for Joselu. Kepa slices a clearance to McGinn, who returns it. Christie and Kepa clatter each other. Kepa tries to restart the game with the Scotland player prone. Then in the centre circle, Carvajal is booked for getting on the referee’s nerves. This is getting heated again.
66 min: McTominay delivers. Tierney goes down in a crowded box but there’s no question of a penalty. Christie slices out of play.
65 min: McTominay sends Robertson into space down the left. Robertson has options in the middle but can’t beat the first man with his cross. He’ll settle for a corner, though, which That Man McTominay will take.
64 min: Spain have completed 404 passes to Scotland’s 122. “Spain were once predictably hapless,” begins Kári Tulinius. “Whatever the situation, or the depth of talent on offer, they would underperform in absurd ways. Perhaps this signals the return of hapless Spain. Though, to be fair, Scotland invented football haplessness, so who knows what’ll happen.” They did that all right. Good old Scotland, that’s half of the charm.
62 min: … and the three of them combine to nearly half the deficit. Carvajal slips Williams clear down the right. He crosses. Aspas leans back and hoicks over from six yards. A fair chance this is going to turn into a nervous game of attack versus defence for Scotland and their supporters.
61 min: Spain are beginning to pin Scotland back. Carvajal, Williams and Aspas are seeing quite a bit of the ball.
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59 min: For a second, it looks as though Porteous has seriously injured himself in sliding to block, but thankfully it’s just a sore whack and he’s soon up and running again.
58 min: Gaya makes good down the left and rolls into the Scotland box for Aspas, who can’t sort his feet out to shoot and is dispossessed by the sliding Porteous. The whistle goes for a Scotland free kick.
57 min: McGinn tries to catch out Kepa, whipping the free kick towards the top right. He does beat the keeper, but not the crossbar. Spain clear. So close to an astonishing three-goal lead!
56 min: McGinn is bowled over three times in quick succession. He only gets a free kick for the third. Before he can get up and take it himself, Merino makes way for Aspas, who at 35 makes Joselu look like a babe in arms.
55 min: That’s four international goals for McTominay in less than an hour! A Haalandesque strike rate. What a strange thing form is.
53 min: McGinn takes a turn to run at the Spain defence, haring down the right this time. He only earns a throw, but that’s celebrated loudly anyway. Hampden is bouncing.
GOAL! Scotland 2-0 Spain (McTominay 51)
It’s that man again! Goal machine Scott McTominay pearls a shot into the bottom left from the edge of the box! Tierney made the goal, skipping past Carvajal with ease down the left. He reaches the box and delivers … well, a poor cross, Garcia able to thigh it to the edge of the area. McTominay romps into the box to meet the loose ball and slams it into the corner! Off goes the roof! Again!
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50 min: McGinn swings the free kick into the mixer. McTominay can’t win a header at the far stick. Christie shanks the loose ball wide left. Kepa not put to work at all.
49 min: Christie goes skipping elegantly down the right wing only to be barged over by Gaya. A free kick in a dangerous position. The replacement referee passes up the opportunity to show a yellow.
48 min: Carvajal’s first act is to clank a dreadful ball straight to Dykes, who has McGinn scampering into space to his right. Dykes then channels his inner Carvajal and clanks the ball straight back to the visitors. A chance to launch an increasingly rare Scottish attack passed up.
46 min: Williams is immediately in the thick of it, making good down the right before checking back and finding Rodri, who arrows a daisycutter straight at Gunn, who gathers well on the line.
Spain make two half-time changes: Porro and Oyarzabal are replaced by Williams and Carvajal. Meanwhile the referee Sandro Schärer has pulled a muscle, so he’s replaced by the fourth official Lukas Fähndrich. Scotland, as they were, get the second half underway.
Half-time postbag. “Samuel Campbell completely wrong. Porro was cheating, even his teammates looked embarrassed. No card for Robertson and a yellow for Porro would have been the correct decision” – John Graham
“I don’t think I can believe this MBM. Maybe the match isn’t on at all and you’re making it all up. Eg twice in this half you have used ‘McTominay’ and ‘calm’ together and that obviously cannot be true, so maybe none of it is?” – Colum Farrelly
“Spain are terrible” – Jeff Sax
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Scotland 1-0 Spain
The whistle goes … and breathe. Joselu gets up in the ref’s grille as the players depart. Spain aren’t very happy. That was magnificent old-school rumbustious entertainment. More please!
45 min +2: What a chance for Dykes! Porro crosses from the right. McGregor intercepts. Tierney blooters upfield … and Dykes gets in ahead of Garcia down the inside left! He bundles the ball towards the edge of the Spain box, draws Kepa, but gets too much on his attempted lob. Over the bar it sails. To be fair to Garcia, he recovered well and did just enough to put Dykes off at the very last.
45 min: There will be two additional minutes tacked onto the end of this tumultuous first half.
44 min: Porro crosses from the right. Joselu goes down on the edge of the six-yard box. He does so very easily … but Porteous does have a hand on his shirt, so you can see why he’s trying to purchase a cheap penalty. The referee’s not interested, though.
43 min: Spain ping it around awhile but go absolutely nowhere. Probably for the best that the match calms down a little, because tempers have been getting frayed. I doubt there’s a single calm punter in Hampden.
41 min: Clarke has a wee chat with the fourth official. He’s really not happy with the referee’s performance. Though on that subject, here’s Samuel Campbell: “I think Robertson is very lucky there. Obviously the Spain player has made the most of it but Robertson knew what he was doing. He definitely tried to leave a bit on him. Red for Robertson and a yellow for Porro for his reaction would have been fair.”
39 min: Merino slips a ball down the inside-left channel and into the Scotland box. Joselu chases after it but Hanley shepherds the ball out for a goal kick. Joselu goes over and claims a penalty. VAR checks, but it’s a clear dive. No penalty, but no yellow card either. Incensed reactions from both Robertson and, on the bench, Clarke. Oh, and in the stands as well. Hampden is a glorious bubbling cauldron!
37 min: Before McGinn’s corner can be taken, Tierney twice claims to have been shoved over by Oyarzabal. The referee’s not interested. McGinn takes. At the near post, Martinez nearly eyebrows into his own net. McGinn takes again. Spain deal with the second one, eventually drawing a free kick from the middle of a penalty-box brouhaha.
36 min: McTominay keeps calm in the middle of a melee just outside the Spain box, steps down the inside-right channel, and curls low into the mixer. With Dykes lurking, Gaya is forced to extend a leg and steer out for a corner.
34 min: Dykes and Garcia go up for a long ball on the edge of the Spanish D. The Scottish striker catches his opponent on the jaw with a leading arm, and goes into the book as a result. The home crowd don’t agree with that one either, and now they’ve got two players to go after for the rest of the game.
33 min: Ceballos drifts in from the left and rolls into the box for Joselu, who can’t control with his back to goal and under pressure from Tierney. The ball clips his hand, and once again the pressure on Scotland is released.
31 min: Porro is getting pantomime pelters every time he touches the ball. Almost as loud as the celebration of the goal. What an atmosphere in Hampden tonight!
30 min: The second corner of the sequence is cleared, and it’s a moment of blessed relief for Scotland, who are in All Hands On Deck mode at the moment. Spain totally on top as they search the equaliser.
29 min: Spain are suddenly on top, with the hosts and the Hampden crowd both a bit rattled. A lot of very loud booing as Rodri flashes a header over from a corner, then Porro aims a long-range riser towards the top right. Gunn paws it over for another corner.
27 min: During a long stoppage so Pino can get the benefit of the magic sponge, VAR checks Robertson’s challenge, isn’t interested, and play restarts … but not before the referee books the Scotland captain. No free kick, so it’s a bit strange. Then again, Robertson was asking for trouble by checking his run so Pino ran into his raised shoulder, and you’ve seen players walk for less. Swings and roundabouts.
25 min: Pino and Robertson compete for a loose ball down the Spanish right. Robertson stops and gently raises his right shoulder, clipping Pino flush in the coupon. There’s not much in it, but Pino goes down hard. Robertson is not impressed with the reaction, and accordingly effs and jeffs with great feeling.
23 min: Hickey, on the halfway line, plays an absurd looping ball back towards Gunn on the edge of the Scotland box. When it eventually comes back to earth, Gunn can only slice out for a throw deep in Scottish territory. A cross comes in from the left. Joselu misses it. No worries! Another comes in from the right, and Joselu crashes a header off the crossbar! Nearly the equaliser, and all the trouble was self-inflicted. Not sure what Hickey was thinking about back there.
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22 min: Spain knock it around patiently, 35 yards from the Scotland goal. Eventually the ball’s won back, McGregor sticking in a toe, McTominay calmly rolling it back for Gunn to clear. The home crowd appreciate the effort.
20 min: Gaya curls in from the left. Joselu rises highest, six yards out, and powers a header straight at Gunn. Either side of the keeper and that would have posed Scotland a problem.
19 min: Another 1980s throwback as Dykes hares after a long punt down the middle. Garcia guides it back to Kepa without too much fuss.
17 min: Martinez clanks McGinn upside the head, while Merino slides in hard on Christie. Then Joselu skittles Dykes in unceremonious fashion. Spain have clearly decided their response to falling behind should involve putting it about a bit. It’s not always been tiki-taka or bust, you know.
15 min: Scotland are so close to doubling their lead. McGinn uses his strength to turn in the centre circle and roll a ball forward for Christie, who romps into space. Spain allow him to make it to the edge of their box, but he whistles his low shot inches wide of the right-hand post. Kepa wouldn’t have got to that had Christie’s shot been on target.
13 min: Ceballos drops deep and slips a clever pass down the inside-left channel for Oyarzabal, bursting into the box and clear of the Scotland back line. Oyarzabal miscontrols and the ball flies out for a goal kick. Scotland breathe again, because had he trapped it, as he should have, he’d have been one on one with Gunn. He looked onside.
11 min: Oyarzabal and Gaya nearly open Scotland up with some cute triangulation down the left. Not quite, but for the first time this evening, Spain put a dangerous-looking move together.
9 min: That’s three goals for Scott McTominay in about 12 minutes of football, when you factor in his late double against Cyprus. Hats off also to Porteous, who started the move with a ball upfield to Dykes.
GOAL! Scotland 1-0 Spain (McTominay 7)
It’s a good sign all right! Christie slips a pass down the inside left for Robertson, who looks to have been beaten to it by Porro. But Porro slips. Robertson cuts back from the byline for McTominay, who from the penalty spot opens his body and slots! A deflection off Martinez wrongfoots Kepa, but Hampden doesn’t care. Into the bottom right goes the ball, and off goes that roof!
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6 min: Dykes nicks the ball in midfield, and lays off to Hickey on the right. Hickey doesn’t have many options, and you half expect him to blooter a long ball upfield just to get out of bother. But he pings infield, McGinn, McTominay and Porteous confidently retaining possession and Scotland recycle. A good sign.
4 min: Other than that, it’s a fairly staccato start to the match. Neither side yet to properly settle.
2 min: Christie and McGinn shuttle the ball down the middle for Dykes, who takes a whack from the left-hand edge of the D. Porro blocks well. A decent early showing by the hosts.
Spain get the ball rolling, and knock it around the back. They cop some pantomime abuse. Imagine Kate Forbes’ response to Humza Yousaf’s offer of the Rural Affairs gig, only more polite.
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Here come the teams! Scotland aren’t wearing their super-retro nae-logo 150th centenary shirt, but their usual still-super-retro mid-80s effort is still very pretty. No red socks today, though, what with the visitors resplendent in that very same colour. Then the anthems, both of which are corkers. Once hands are clasped, coins are tossed, and pennants exchanged, we’ll be underway.
Steve Clarke, calm and considered, speaks to Viaplay Sports. “It’s what you play football for, to be involved in games and nights like this … we’re certainly looking forward to the game … we’ve got a good squad of players and you have to utilise them at the right time … the changes were already in my mind before [McTominay and Christie] did what they did on Saturday … you have to freshen the team a little bit but not change it too much … it’s a challenge, Spain are one of the top European sides … you have to trust in your ability and play almost the perfect game … hopefully if enough people in the team do that, you get the right result … we have to be switched on …if we play to our very best, hopefully that’ll be enough to get us something good tonight.”
A belated happy birthday to Joselu. The Espanyol striker, formerly of Newcastle United and Stoke City, turned 33 yesterday. He makes his first international start tonight, having come off the bench for his debut against Norway on Saturday to score two late goals in as many minutes.
That weekend cameo saw Joselu become the oldest Spanish debutant since Ferenc Puskas, who was 34 when he first turned out for Spain against Morocco in 1961. Puskas never scored in four appearances while representing Spain as a naturalised citizen, though he did manage to notch 84 goals in 85 matches during his time with Hungary, so his international legacy wasn’t in too much danger of being tarnished.
Tonight’s other game in Group A has just finished: Georgia 1-1 Norway. Alexander Sørloth gave Norway the lead on 15 minutes; Georges Mikautadze equalised on the hour. Then the ball dropped to an unmarked Martin Ødegaard … and oh my. A decent result for Scotland.
What a miss by Martin Ødegaard! 😱
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) March 28, 2023
Just the player that Norway would have wanted it to fall to, and he couldn't keep his effort down 😬#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/OkbXq74erx
Scotland make three changes to the starting XI named for the 3-0 win over Cyprus. Lyndon Dykes replaces the injured Che Adams up front, while Scott McTominay reaps the reward of his quickfire two-goal contribution against the Cypriots by starting in midfield alongside Ryan Christie. Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Jack are the pair to make way, both dropping to the bench.
Spain make eight changes to their starting team in the wake of their 3-0 victory over Norway. Kepa, Rodri and Mikel Merino are the only players to keep their place. Some instant reaction to that from our man in the press box can be found below.
Spain - clearly labouring under the false illusion Scotland are pish - have made umpteen changes. Gavi on bench.
— Ewan Murray (@mrewanmurray) March 28, 2023
The teams
Scotland: Gunn, Hickey, Porteous, Hanley, Tierney, Robertson, McGinn, McTominay, McGregor, Christie, Dykes.
Subs: Kelly, Clark, Patterson, Shankland, Hyam, Gilmour, Cooper, Armstrong, Ferguson, Brown, Jack, McLean.
Spain: Kepa, Porro, Garcia, Martinez, Gaya, Rodri, Merino, Pino, Ceballos, Oyarzabal, Joselu.
Subs: Sanchez, Raya, Nacho, Laporte, Morata, Ruiz, Gavi, Iglesias, Aspas, Williams, Carvajal, Zubimendi.
Referee: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland).
🏴 Your Scotland team to face Spain this evening at Hampden Park.#SCOESP pic.twitter.com/Wb1UyUtlGV
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) March 28, 2023
🚨 OFICIAL | ¡¡YA TENEMOS 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 INICIAL!!
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) March 28, 2023
👥 Esta es la alineación que Luis de la Fuente ha elegido para arrancar el partido ante Escocia.
🙌🏻🇪🇸 ¡¡Vamos a por una nueva victoria!!#VamosEspaña | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/wUpWcFvBeN
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Preamble
Scotland last welcomed Spain to Hampden Park in 2010, at the height of the Red Fury’s pomp. Given that the Spanish were reigning world and European champions, and were at the start of a mission that would see them retain their Euro title, a narrow 3-2 defeat reflected well on Scotland.
The Scots were underdogs then, and they’re underdogs now. But the gap between the teams isn’t what it was in 2010. Spain are only (only!) tenth in the world these days, while Scotland no longer have a manager who sends out his team in a 4-6-0 formation. Spain are coming off the back of a disappointing World Cup, while the Scots are comparatively happy with their lot, having won promotion to the top tier of the Nations League. “Scotland are a very strong rival,” new Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente says diplomatically. “They’ve got a good team that has evolved over the years. Scotland are a very intense team. The whole team has quality.”
All good, though when you boil the bones down, Scotland are still up against it tonight. Spain’s 3-0 win over Norway on Saturday was more clinical than Scotland’s victory by the same score against Cyprus, and they’ve lost just one of their last 18 Euro qualifiers away from home, against Slovakia in October 2014. They’ve won 14 of the other 17. And they’ve not lost to Scotland since 1984, when Kenny Dalglish lit up a World Cup qualifier with one of his trademark whips into the top corner. (What a belter that was!) But Scotland are unbeaten in eight matches at Hampden, and there’s always hope. Kick off is at 7.45pm BST. It’s on!
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