Scotland Beat Greece 3-1 in World Cup Qualifier
Scotland's World Cup dreams received a boost as they staged an impressive comeback to beat Greece 3-1 in a thrilling World Cup qualifier, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
The Tartan Army was vocal in their discontent, booing Scotland off the pitch at halftime...
Scotland's World Cup hopes received a significant boost with a thrilling 3-1 comeback win over Greece at Hampden Park. After a promising start, Scotland trailed at halftime but rallied to secure a crucial victory.
The win builds on Scotland's strong start to the qualifying campaign, where they earned four points from their opening two matches against Denmark and Belarus without conceding a goal. This latest triumph keeps their World Cup aspirations firmly on track.
Scotland's victory was a testament to their determination and resilience. After conceding the opening goal, they regrouped and dominated the second half, showcasing their attacking prowess and securing a vital win.
Scotland will have breathed a sigh of relief after Vangelis Pavlidis's glaring miss in the eighth minute. A slick passing move between Christos Tzolis and Tasos Bakasetas ended with Pavlidis miscuing a cross into an empty net.
As the first half progressed, Scotland grew into the game, although they struggled to create clear chances. The Scottish defense held firm, limiting Greece to few opportunities and keeping the scoreline goalless.
The Tartan Army was vocal in their discontent, booing Scotland off the pitch at halftime despite the level score. This came after witnessing their team's 2-0 halftime deficit against Greece in the Nations League play-off in March.
The Greek players also had moments to rue, with Pavlidis heading over from a great chance early in the second half, and Georgios Masouras blasting a close-range effort over the crossbar, keeping Scotland's hopes alive.
Scotland made their first substitution midway through the first half, with Anthony Ralston replacing Aaron Hickey due to injury concerns. Billy Gilmour also entered the game, replacing Ben Gannon-Doak, but the match dynamics remained unchanged.
Scotland soon found themselves trailing as Greece broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. Pavlidis's shot was blocked, but Kostas Tsimikas capitalized on the rebound, scoring emphatically and sparking discontent among the Scottish fans.
However, Scotland equalized sooner than expected. They won a corner, which Ryan Christie delivered, and the Bournemouth midfielder himself scored after Konstantinos Mavropanos's poor header allowed him to capitalize on the error. The Greek goalkeeper, Konstantinos Tzolakis, should have done better.
The equalizer sparked a dramatic turnaround as Scotland took the lead after a set piece. Andrew Robertson's free-kick found Lewis Ferguson, who slammed the ball home, sending Hampden into a frenzy.
Scotland sealed the win in stoppage time, with substitute Lyndon Dykes capitalizing on a costly error by Greek goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. The handling mistake was left unchallenged, and Dykes pounced to send the crowd wild.
The win keeps Scotland in contention, staying close behind Denmark in Group C. Meanwhile, Greece will be left regretting a major missed opportunity, having failed to hold onto their lead.
Key stats
- Scotland trailed for just two minutes and 16 seconds, with Ryan Christie equalising with what was Scotland's first shot on target. The Tartan Army scored with all three of their shots on target.
- Scotland are undefeated in their last three games in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 4th September 2021 to 15th November 2021, a run of six games.
- Kostas Tsimikas scored his first ever goal for Greece on what was his 44th appearance while Lewis Ferguson scored his first goal for Scotland on what was his 19th appearance for the nation.
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