Scotland’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 remain alive after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Group A. Steve Clarke’s side showed significant improvement from their previous 5-1 loss to Germany, delivering a spirited performance at Cologne Stadium.
Scott McTominay opened the scoring for Scotland early on, converting a cut-back from Callum McGregor, with his shot deflecting off Fabian Schar. The goal ignited wild celebrations among the Tartan Army. However, Switzerland quickly responded, with veteran Xherdan Shaqiri equalizing through a brilliant first-time finish after capitalizing on Anthony Ralston’s errant pass.
The match continued to be closely contested in the second half. Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who had made a crucial save from Dan Ndoye in the first half, denied the Swiss forward again in a one-on-one situation. Scotland came close to regaining the lead when Grant Hanley headed against the post from an Andrew Robertson free-kick.
Despite their efforts, Scotland could not secure the victory. They demonstrated impressive defensive resilience, especially in the closing moments, surviving a scare when substitute Zeki Amdouni headed wide. The draw leaves Scotland with one point from two games, three points behind second-placed Switzerland, who are nearly assured of qualification alongside Germany.
Crucially, Scotland’s draw means a win over Hungary in their final group game could see them progress as one of the four best third-placed finishers. The main setback of the evening was the injury to defender Kieran Tierney, who was stretchered off in the second half with a hamstring issue, ruling him out of the decisive match against Hungary.
Star Performer: McTominay Crucial
Scott McTominay’s goal, his eighth in his last 14 games for the national team, was the highlight of an outstanding all-around performance from the Manchester United midfielder. McTominay was pivotal, driving the team forward and taking the most shots and touches in the opposition box. Defensively, he effectively neutralized Granit Xhaka’s influence on the game.
Gunn: We Were 10 Times Better
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn expressed satisfaction with the improved performance: “Everything in the game, from the start, was 10 times better than the other night. The lads managed to keep it going for 90 minutes. Some of them were flagging by the end but it was much more like us. We wanted to bring that intensity back into the game today, and you could see the lift it gave the players and the fans.”
Captain Andrew Robertson’s Perspective
Captain Andrew Robertson praised the team’s aggressive and front-foot approach: “That was far more like us and we’re a lot happier with that performance. We’ll take the draw and there’s all to play for in the last game. That’s all we can ask for.”
Scotland now heads into their final group game against Hungary knowing exactly what is required to keep their Euro 2024 dream alive. A victory could secure their historic passage to the knockout stages.
Credit: Sky Sports
