Scotland starting XI, with just three changes to the team that started the 2-1 defeat against Hungary at Euro 2024. Calum McGregor has retired, while Che Adams and Jack Hendry are injured, so in come Lyndon Dykes, Ryan Christie and Kenny McLean. Five players sit on the bench hoping to make their debut: Josh Doig, Max Johnston, Connor Barron, Ben Doak and – this may make you feel old – Scotland’s one-time wonderkid and mooted answer to Lionel Messi, Ryan Gauld, who is now 28. Hey, he’s been waiting for over a decade, what’s another 60-odd minutes before he finally gets a run-out?Nations League campaign for the first time, promoted to League A as part of a fine run during 2022 and 2023 that included statement victories over Ukraine, Norway and Spain. Meanwhile the auld enemy England were getting gubbed four at home by Hungary en route to relegation to League B.
Those days are past now. England went on to make the final of Euro 2024, Spain won the whole thing, and Hungary sent Steve Clarke’s men homeward tae think again. No point poking at old wounds, other than to wonder if Scotland can rise now and be … OK, let’s stop that. But the team really does need to get back on the horse after the hopes of 2022 and 2023 were so systematically crushed in Germany, having lost seven and drawn four of their last 12 matches, their only win coming against Gibraltar, and a throughly underwhelming 2-0 at that. Possible debuts for Ryan Gauld and Ben Doak could get Hampden roaring again. Poland, who also endured a miserable Euros but can still boast Robert Lewandowski, and have never lost a competitive fixture against the Scots, stand in their way. Kick-off is at 7.45pm BST. It’s on!
Source: theguardian.com
