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:
Clarke’s resurgence
Two-and-half years ago Steve Clarke’s Scotland capitulated to a bruising 4-0 defeat to Russia in Moscow in which was the manager’s fifth game in charge. To compound matters, Russia scored all four goals in 27 minutes after Scotland had looked in control of the game.
Clarke and the team were torn apart by the pundits for the display and the manager admitted that: “We have to make sure this is the lowest of the low.”
Since then Clarke has reshaped and galvanised the national team, Scotland are two games away from a first World Cup since 1998, which would be a second consecutive major tournament having ended their 23-year hiatus at Euro 2020 last year.
In the 28 games since that one in Moscow, Scotland have 16 wins, seven draws and five defeats under Clarke. Can he get two more victories and lead the Scots to the World Cup?
Ukraine boss Oleksandr Petrakov on Scotland
“This Scotland team are a very good team, which in my opinion has no weaknesses. Team leaders include Andrew Robertson, John McGinn, Che Adams, Celtic captain Callum McGregor and the injured Kieran Tierney.
“I have great respect for the Scottish national team and with gratitude that they agreed to postpone the original match without any conditions to June.
“This is football. They want and we want. So we are on equal terms.”
Previous meetings
Scotland and Ukraine have only met on two occasions before, both in the memorable qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 and the head-to-head record stands at one win apiece.
Ukraine won the first clash between the sides 2-0 in 2006, with their talismanic captain Andriy Shevchenko sealing the victory after Olexander Kucher had scored the opener.
Scotland hit back in the reverse fixture in Glasgow, with Kenny Miller, Lee McCulloch and James McFadden all on target in a famous 3-1 win at Hampden Park.
Craig Gordon played in both fixtures in that campaign and he will hope to once again be involved - over 15 years on from the countries’ first meeting.
World Cup fixtures: Groups, dates, kick-off times and full schedule for Qatar 2022
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins on 21 November as 32 teams aim to reach the final and become world champions on 18 December.
The tournament will be the first to be held in the Arab world and only the second to take place in Asia, after Japan and South Korea joint-hosted the event in 2002. This edition will be the last to feature just 32 teams, with the tournament being expanded from 2026 inwards in order to feature 48 nations.
Reigning champions France will be among the favourites, though no team has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, alongside fellow European sides England, Spain, and Belgium. Brazil and Argentina will also likely feature in the knockout stages, while Senegal could represent Africa’s biggest hopes of winning for the first time.
England will meeting either Wales or Scotland if either of their UK neighbours make it out of the play-offs, in Group B with USA and Iran. Check out the full World Cup fixtures and schedule below.
World Cup fixtures: Dates and kick-off times for Qatar 2022
World Cup groups and Qatar 2022 full schedule
Scotland’s key men?
Both John McGinn and Lyndon Dykes have scored four goals in this campaign for Scotland. The last Scottish player to net more goals in a single campaign was Kevin Gallacher in qualifying for the 1998 finals (six).
Poland 0-0 Wales
20 minutes gone in the Nations League match between Poland and Wales. The visitors are giving as good as they get out there but Poland should be one goal to the good.
Robert Lewandowski dribbles his way through the crumbling Wales defence and fires a shot at goal. He doesn’t catch it cleanly and Danny Ward makes a brilliant save.
You would have expected Lewandowski to score from there though.
Scotland’s qualifying run
Since losing consecutive World Cup qualifiers in October and November 2016 against Slovakia and England, Scotland have only lost one of their last 16 such games - a 2-0 defeat to Denmark in September 2021.
They’ve won 11 during that run.
Scotland face England in potential World Cup group stage at Qatar 2022
Scotland and Wales might not yet know which of them will be playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter, but they do know who they will be playing in the group stage of the tournament if they qualify, after the draw was conducted in the Qatari capital Doha on Friday.
The winners of the eventual play-off final will be in Group B alongside fellow European nation and rivals England, as well as USA and Iran.
Steve Clarke’s Scots are due to face Ukraine in a delayed play-off semi-final at Hampden Park in June, with Wales then facing the winners in a one-off fixture which will decide who makes it to the World Cup.
Scotland last played in the tournament in France in 1998, being knocked out in the first round from a group containing Morocco, Norway and eventual losing finalists Brazil. The Scots have never made it past the group stage at the World Cup in eight attempts.
Scotland learn potential World Cup group stage opponents for Qatar 2022
The Tartan Army still need two results to reach the finals but now know their fate if they reach Qatar
Scottish supporters with Ukraine says Sturgeon
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says that no matter how much support the national team gets tonight there will be a place in their hearts for Ukraine during Wednesday’s decisive World Cup qualifier.
“I’ll be there tonight supporting Scotland. I want Scotland to win,” said Sturgeon. “I want Scotland to go to the World Cup.
“I think it will be a really emotional occasion. I think a bit of everyone’s heart tonight, no matter how strongly we will be supporting Scotland, will be with Ukraine.
“If Scotland doesn’t qualify for the World Cup and Ukraine does qualify, I’ll be supporting Ukraine at the World Cup.”
Scotland odds-on favourites versus Ukraine
Scotland are odds-on 7/10 favourites to beat Ukraine and go within one game of reaching their first World Cup appearance in over two decades.
The Scots are also 8/11 favourites to seal the victory inside 90 minutes, which would see them set up a mouth-watering tie with Wales on Sunday.
Steve Clarke’s men will be looking to extend their impressive unbeaten run to nine games, though fans at Hampden Park could be working through their fingernails all night with the odds of a win via extra time or penalties at 9/1.
Latest odds via SBK.
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