Scotland Stay Alive Despite 3-2 Loss to Greece

Scotland Down But Not Out After Wild Defeat in Greece

Scotland’s World Cup dream is still alive, despite a chaotic 3-2 defeat to Greece in Piraeus. A dramatic draw between Denmark and Belarus in the group’s other fixture means Steve Clarke’s men now need just one win on Tuesday to secure their first World Cup appearance since 1998.

Things looked bleak after 63 minutes. Scotland were three goals down, stunned by strikes from Bakasetas, Karetsas, and Tzolis. Meanwhile, Denmark were leading Belarus, making automatic qualification seem lost.

Then the script flipped. Belarus equalised, and within minutes, Ben Gannon-Doak scored his first international goal, injecting hope back into the Scottish ranks. Ryan Christie added a second soon after, setting up a frantic finale.

Defensive Collapse, But Fight Remains

Scotland’s first half was riddled with defensive errors. A misjudged ball by John Souttar led to Bakasetas’ opener, with Craig Gordon forced into multiple saves. Denmark went ahead in their match, and for a moment it all felt over.

But Scott McTominay’s thunderous strike off the bar, Che Adams’ horror miss, and Gannon-Doak’s late burst reminded fans there was still fight left in this team.

By full-time, Scotland had hit the bar, missed sitters, created numerous chances, and still ended up short on the night—but alive in the campaign.

Reaction From Clarke & Robertson

Steve Clarke (Scotland head coach):

“These lads are a credit. They didn’t give up. We got a lucky break with Belarus, and now it’s all to play for.”

Andy Robertson (Scotland captain):

“We got the attacking part right, but defensively we were poor. But it’s a shootout on Tuesday, and that’s all we can ask for.”

Match Stats & Records

Ben Gannon-Doak (20y 4d) became Scotland’s youngest scorer since 2010.
Ryan Christie scored in back-to-back games for the first time in 5 years.
Craig Gordon made 7 saves, his most since March 2022.
With an average age of 29y 280d, this was Scotland’s oldest starting XI for a World Cup qualifier since 2004.

What’s Next?

Scotland will face North Macedonia on Tuesday in what is effectively a winner-takes-all showdown. A win will guarantee qualification and break a 28-year World Cup drought.