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[monks data]
Scotland national football team
Nations League | League A
Oct 15, 2024 at 7.45pm UK
Hampden Park
Portugal national football team

Scotland
0 - 0
Portugal


McTominay (27')
FT

Jota (18'), Palhinha (50'), Dias (83'), Silva (90+5')

Scotland vs. Portugal: Can Steve Clarke's out-of-form side topple Cristiano Ronaldo and co?

© Imago
Ex-Scotland star Pat Nevin tells Sports Mole that he does not expect Steve Clarke's under-fire team to win a single game during their Nations League campaign.

Former Scotland star Pat Nevin has told Sports Mole that he does not expect Steve Clarke's side to win a single UEFA Nations League fixture this season ahead of their meeting with League A Group 1 leaders Portugal on Tuesday evening.

Having been consigned to a third straight defeat last weekend - when Ryan Christie's opener raised hopes of a famous win in Zagreb, before Croatia roared back and took maximum points - Scotland remain pointless at the bottom of their group.

At risk of heading straight back down to League B when the action concludes next month, Clarke's men must now reconvene with one of Europe's top teams, as a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Selecao arrive at Hampden Park.

Ex-Chelsea winger and 28-cap Scotland international Nevin has concerns that the Scots' year-long wait for a competitive win will go on, not just against Portugal but until the end of their Nations League campaign.

Asked whether he was expecting anything from the match, Nevin told Sports Mole: "I think trepidation and hope, I would say, rather than expectation. But not concern, because when this group was drawn after Scotland managed to get up to the top level of the Nations League, I didn't expect us to win any games.

"However, we have been competitive in every single one. If you look at the Polish game, it was 2-2 until the 100th minute, something stupid like that; Portugal, 88th minute, Ronaldo scores against us. In the Croatia game, that was a single-goal defeat away from home against a top, top side where we thought we'd equalised in the last second."

Scotland "competitive" despite poor form

In their first meeting with Portugal, Scotland went ahead when Scott McTominay struck early on, only for Bruno Fernandes to equalise before Ronaldo emerged from the bench to turn the game on its head.

Previously, Clarke and co had let a lead slip to lose against Poland in their opener, while substitute striker Che Adams saw a last-gasp leveller ruled out in Croatia last week.

It is now four successive defeats across all competitions for Tuesday's hosts, whose only success in their last 15 matches came against Gibraltar in a summer friendly.

Yet, Nevin still believes events at Euro 2024 - where Scotland suffered a group-stage exit - could also have panned out differently for former Chelsea teammate Clarke, who has faced speculation about whether his position is still tenable.

"The two games before that were a draw against Switzerland, which was all right. And then Hungary, that was 100th minute when we lost that one. So to be fair, Scotland, while they've gone through this massive transition phase, have actually been fairly competitive," he told Sports Mole.

Scotland's Billy Gilmour and Kenny McLean react during the UEFA Nations League match against Croatia, on October 12, 2024© Imago

Scotland players still behind Clarke

In addition to a long injury list, featuring players such as John McGinn, Lewis Ferguson and Kieran Tierney, Nevin insists that Scotland are still short of talent in key areas, as they welcome a star-studded Portugal side to Hampden Park.

"Now there are weaknesses. You know, we haven't got world-class creative players. We've not got a world-class goalscorer, all that sort of stuff. We get that. That's where we are," Nevin added.

"But none of that's important. What's important is, do the team believe in Steve Clarke? Are they still working hard for him? Are they improving in certain areas? I think they are."

Pat Nevin was talking to Sports Mole on behalf of sports betting site BetVictor.

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How you voted: Scotland vs Portugal

Scotland
9.0%
Draw
10.4%
Portugal
80.7%
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League A1

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal642014
Q Croatia Croatia62228
3 Scotland flag Scotland62137
4 Poland Poland61144

League A2

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France641113
Q Italy Italy641113
3 Belgium Belgium61144
4 Israel Israel61144

League A3

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany642014
Q Netherlands Netherlands62319
3 Hungary Hungary61326
4 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina60242

League A4

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain651016
Q Denmark Denmark62228
3 Serbia Serbia61326
4 Switzerland Switzerland60242

League B1

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic632111
2 Ukraine Ukraine62228
3 Georgia Georgia62137
4 Albania national flag Albania62137

League B2

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England650115
2 Greece Greece650115
3 Ireland Rep. Ireland62046
4 Finland Finland60060

League B3

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Norway Norway641113
2 Austria Austria632111
3 Slovenia Slovenia62228
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan60151

League B4

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Wales flag Wales633012
2 Turkey Turkey632111
3 Iceland Iceland62137
4 Montenegro Montenegro61053

League C1

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Sweden Sweden651016
2 Slovakia Slovakia641113
3 Estonia Estonia61144
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan60151

League C2

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania550015
2 Kosovo flag Kosovo540112
3 Cyprus Cyprus62046
4 Lithuania Lithuania60060

League C3

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland632111
2 Bulgaria Bulgaria62319
3 Belarus Belarus61417
4 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg60333

League C4

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Macedonia N. Macedonia651016
2 Armenia Armenia62137
3 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands61326
4 Latvia Latvia61144

League D1

TeamPWDLPTS
Q San Marino flag San Marino42117
2 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar41306
3 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein40222

League D2

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Republic of Moldova Moldova43019
2 Malta flag Malta42117
3 Andorra flag Andorra40131


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