Scotland vs Ukraine LIVE: World Cup play-off result, final score and reaction as Ukraine triumph
Follow all the updates from Hampden Park as both nations look to move one step away from the finals in Qatar at the end of the year
Ukraine kept alive their dream of reaching the World Cup finals, beating Scotland 3-1 in their play-off at Hampden Park in their first game since the Russian invasion of their country.
Ukraine will now face Wales on Sunday in Cardiff with the winner taking a place in November’s finals in Qatar. The loss means Scotland remain without an appearance at a World Cup since 1998.
Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk had put a confident and dominant Ukraine 2-0 up before Callum McGregor pulled a goal back for the Scots in the 79th minute.
The goal injected some belief into Scotland who applied some late pressure but deep into stoppage time substitute Artem Dovbyk finished off a counter-attack to secure the victory.
Follow all the reaction below as Ukraine beat Scotland in the World Cup play-off semi-final:
Scotland 0-0 Ukraine
12 mins: Ruslan Malinovskyi is the second player to go in the book. He arrives slightly late to tackle Lydon Dykes and clips the striker to bring him down. Malinovskyi isn’t best pleased with that decision and lets the referee know.
Andy Robertson then curls a cross into the box from the left side but none of his teammates can direct it at goal and it bounces through for a goal kick.
Scotland 0-0 Ukraine
9 mins: Save! Outstanding stop from Scotland’s Craig Gordon to deny Viktor Tsygankov. Ukraine swiftly move the ball down the right wing with Viktor Karavaev driving forward. He fizzes a low cross into the box and Tsygankov squeezes in front of the defender, meets the ball on the half-volley and turns it towards goal only for Gordon to leap and flap the ball over the crossbar!
Scotland 0-0 Ukraine
6 mins: Yellow card! Billy Gilmour receives the ball inside his own half and looks to thread it over to the left wing. As he releases the ball Roman Yaremchuk comes sliding in from the side and cleans the legs out from the young midfielder. He’s shaken a touch and the referee stops play to award Scotland a free kick and give Yarmechuk the first yellow card of the game.
Scotland 0-0 Ukraine
3 mins: John McGinn nips in front of Taras Stepanenko in the middle of the pitch and wins the ball for Scotland. Stepanenko tries to win it back immediately and fouls the Scottish midfielder.
The free kick is taken quickly as the home side push up the pitch. Scott McTominay floats a diagonal ball into the box looking for either Che Adams or Lyndon Dykes but neither forward can get to the pass and Ukraine clear.
Kick off: Scotland 0-0 Ukraine
Scotland get the ball rolling at Hampden Park. They boot the ball over to the right wing and win an early throw in. The ball is sent towards the box where it’s won by the visitors who look to break forward on the counter-attack. Ukraine carry the ball into Scotland’s half but Andy Robertson is back to cover and comes away with the ball for the hosts.
Scotland vs Ukraine
The Scottish anthem is up next and the Tartan Army is in full voice encouraging and getting behind their team. Hampden Park is buzzing, the atmosphere is perfect for such an important occasion.
Kick off is next...
Scotland vs Ukraine
The Ukrainian team are ready in the tunnel. Each player is draped in a Ukrainian flag as they walk out onto the pitch. There’s a deafening roar and cheer as the teams set out at Hampden Park.
There are 3,000 Ukrainian fans inside the stadium tonight. Most, if not all, of them are waving flags from the stands.
The Ukrainian national anthem starts playing. The players stand shoulder to shoulder and sing the song of their country.
Ukraine vs Scotland: Fans soak up atmosphere ahead of emotional World Cup qualifier
To compete against Ukraine in 2022 is a delicate thing. What is a worthy victory, and what is actually fair? The mammoth public vote for the Ukrainian Eurovision entry was one thing, but international football raises emotions (and tempers) to a whole other level.
Fortunately for the Scottish football side, who face a World Cup qualifier against the Ukrainians today, the atmosphere as fans head to Hampden Park is not of pity, but of joy.
And according to Artem, a young Ukrainian Edinburgher who’s lived here since long before the invasion, the game means a lot more than simply proving that Ukraine and Ukrainians are surviving.
Fans in Glasgow look forward to emotional Ukraine v Scotland qualifier
Andrew Naughtie in Glasgow finds Ukrainians determined not to be defined by war
Much-changed Wales warm up for World Cup play-off final with Nations League defeat to Poland
Wales’ understudies failed to deliver a World Cup boost as they slipped to a 2-1 Nations League defeat to Poland.
Just four days before their World Cup play-off final, Jonny Williams’ second international goal gave an unfamiliar Wales line-up a 52nd-minute lead in Wroclaw.
But Poland substitutes Jakub Kaminski and Karol Swiderski struck in the final 18 minutes to turn the game on its head and inflict a first defeat on Wales since their Euro 2020 loss to Denmark last summer.
Captain Gareth Bale was absent from Wales’ matchday squad after arriving from Real Madrid’s Champions League celebrations, with boss Robert Page shuffling his pack ahead of Sunday’s decider in Cardiff.
Wales warm up for World Cup play-off final with Nations League defeat to Poland
Jakub Kaminski and Karol Swiderski struck in the final 18 minutes to turn the game on its head after Jonny Williams’ opener
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments