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

Scotland
1 - 0
Croatia

McGinn (86')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Sucic (30'), Caleta-Car (41'), Kramaric (44')
Sucic (44')

Preview: Scotland vs. Croatia - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Friday's Nations League clash between Scotland and Croatia, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Scotland's stay in the UEFA Nations League's top tier could be brought to its end on Friday, when they face an almost must-win game against League A Group 1 rivals Croatia.

The hosts will be relegated if they lose and Poland avoid defeat to Portugal - or if they draw and the Poles pull off a shock win - while their visitors are closing in on a place in the quarter-finals.


Match preview

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

Though they battled against the odds to finally put a first point on the board last month, Scotland had previously followed their dismal exit from Euro 2024 with three straight defeats at the start of their latest Nations League campaign.

Steve Clarke's side lie bottom of Group 1 and are in distinct danger of heading straight back down to League B, even if successfully scrapping for a rare clean sheet earned them a gritty 0-0 draw with leaders Portugal last time out.

That result may have relieved some of the pressure on Clarke's shoulders, but Scotland are still enduring their longest ever winless run on home soil (six matches) and also their longest streak without a competitive victory (10).

In fact, failure to take maximum points on Friday night would see them equal their worst winless sequence overall, drawing level with a nine-game run set back in 1998.

It could have been a very different story, as conceding late goals against Portugal and Poland cost precious points, while Ryan Christie's first-half strike in October's reverse fixture was overturned by a Croatian comeback in Zagreb, where Che Adams had a potential equaliser chalked off by the VAR.

Now, at least four points will be required from their final two fixtures if Scotland are to defy the drop - and even finishing third would result in a relegation playoff.

Croatia's Andrej Kramaric shoots at goal during his side's UEFA Nations League match against Scotland, on October 12, 2024© Imago

While Croatia have never won in Scotland - as they prepare for their first trip to Hampden since October 2013, when they lost 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier - goals from Igor Matanovic and veteran striker Andrej Kramaric secured victory over the Scots last month.

Three days later, Zlatko Dalic saw his side miss out on sealing both second spot in Group 1 and a place in the quarter-finals, as they let a two-goal lead slip against Poland and had to settle for an eventful 3-3 draw.

Having started with defeat in Portugal and a home win over the Poles, the 2023 Nations League runners-up have accrued seven points thus far, and that has them on the brink of qualifying for the knockout rounds again.

If they win in Glasgow - or even if they draw and Poland fail to defeat Portugal - Croatia can wrap up progress with one game to spare, as their growing fondness for UEFA's newest international tournament continues.

Only Greece have won more games across the last two editions of the Nations League, which actually represents quite a turnaround, as Dalic and co had lost seven of their first 10 matches in the competition.

Croatia have also scored in each of their last 14 away games all told, averaging just over two goals per game in the process, so they can head for Glasgow confident of breaching their hosts' leaky back line.

Scotland Nations League form:


Scotland form (all competitions):


Croatia Nations League form:


Croatia form (all competitions):



Team News

Che Adams of Scotland during the UEFA Euro 2024 match between Scotland and Hungary on June 23, 2024 © Imago

After lamenting the loss of several experienced players to injury over the past few months, Scotland will welcome back Jack Hendry, John McGinn and Stuart Armstrong this month, though they must do without Torino striker Che Adams.

The latter missed last week's Derby della Mole against Juventus with a thigh injury and has not yet recovered, so Tommy Conway, Lyndon Dykes and Lawrence Shankland will all vie to start up front.

None of the trio are in top form though, as Conway has scored five goals for Middlesbrough, Dykes has yet to find the net in League One, while Shankland has only one goal to show for his efforts this term following an excellent 33-goal haul for club and country last season.

Whoever is selected should receive support from McGinn and Scott McTominay, whose Napoli teammate Billy Gilmour is set to pit his wits against Croatia's playmaking maestro Luka Modric in midfield.

The visitors will be missing Lovro Majer and Bruno Petkovic due to injury, but Modric skippers an experienced squad also featuring Ivan Perisic: the PSV Eindhoven winger has been directly involved in three goals in two games against Scotland but has never scored across 18 Nations League appearances.

As first-choice goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic is suspended after being sent off versus Poland, Augsburg's Nediljko Labrovic should deputise between the posts on Friday, when Scotland's 41-year-old stopper Craig Gordon will continue to stand in for the injured Angus Gunn.


Scotland possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hendry, Robertson; McLean, Gilmour; McGinn, McTominay, Doak; Dykes

Croatia possible starting lineup:
Labrovic; Sutalo, Caleta-Car, Gvardiol; Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Sosa; Baturina, Kramaric; Matanovic


SM words green background

We say: Scotland 1-1 Croatia

Croatia can afford to play with a certain amount of freedom, as qualification is within their own hands, while Scotland are feeling the weight of public expectation.

Performances have improved, but the Tartan Army may have to wait a while longer to celebrate an elusive home win, given their opponents' combination of guile and steel.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Game History

How you voted: Scotland vs Croatia

Scotland
24.6%
Draw
19.0%
Croatia
56.4%
211
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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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