Jamie Jackson’s verdict is in. Here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
This defeat now means Scotland haven’t tasted victory in any of their last eight competitive fixtures. That’s the longest non-winning streak in their history. Before that, they’d won 15 of their previous 18 competitive matches. Talk about going from feast to famine. “At least Scotland didn’t concede after the 90th minute, like they did against Germany, Hungary and Poland,” notes a chipper Simon McMahon, who may or may not be viewing tonight’s result through the base of a tumbler that once contained a ball of malt. “Always look for the positives, eh?”
Another game, another late blow for Scotland. Once again they played well in patches – and Scott McTominay’s opener was superb – but defensive lapses did for them. Thing is, even though Angus Gunn should have saved Bruno Fernandes’s equaliser, he was otherwise Scotland’s man of the match, making three outrageous saves among a series of other fine stops and interventions. So Scotland can’t say that the winner, late though it was, hadn’t been coming. Portugal deserved their victory on the balance of play and sheer number of chances created. Without Gunn’s heroics, the hosts would have had at least a couple more.
In the other game in A1, Croatia have beaten Poland 1-0 thanks to a 52nd-minute Luka Modrić goal. All of which means the table looks like this …
Portugal P2 W2 D0 L0 F4 A2 Pts 6
Croatia P2 W1 D0 L1 F2 A2 Pts 3
Poland P2 W1 D0 L1 F3 A3 Pts 3
Scotland P2 W0 D0 L2 F3 A5 Pts 0
… leaving Scotland in all sorts of bother.
FULL TIME: Portugal 2-1 Scotland
Some eejit comes racing onto the pitch in the hope of meeting Ronaldo, and is bundled off to the cells. Then the whistle goes, and Ronaldo celebrates. More disappointment for Scotland after another semi-promising showing.
90 min +4: Morgan picks out McTominay on the edge of the Portugal box. McTominay’s shot is deflected out for a corner, the ball ushered out by Morgan … who is then flagged offside. So no corner for Scotland, and no late reprieve.
90 min +2: Doak tries to skedaddle down the left, but who’s that tracking back? Ronaldo, that’s who. Strange the boost of energy scoring one’s 901st goal gives you.
90 min +1: The first of five additional minutes sees McGinn replaced by Doak.
90 min: Scotland win a corner down the left. Gilmour takes, but Scotland push and shove too eagerly in the box and the whistle goes.
89 min: McKenna was snoozing a bit there. Then again, it was a vicious cross along the corridor of uncertainty.
GOAL! Portugal 2-1 Scotland (Ronaldo 88)
Yeah, well, to be fair, this had been coming. Nuno Mendes crosses from the left. Jota extends a leg but misses the ball. Ronaldo, just behind him, doesn’t. He taps home, and it’s more late heartbreak for Scotland.
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87 min: Morgan replaces Christie.
85 min: Ralston is booked for time-wasting as Portugal continue to push Scotland back. The visitors really clinging on here. But those two saves by Gunn: wow! A huge strong hand to stop Felix’s header, then a last-ditch scoop off the line to deny Felix bundling Ronaldo’s header into the net.
83 min: Portugal immediately come again, and Ronaldo, found free six yards out by Fernandes’s scooped pass, aims a header towards the left-hand side of the net … and off the inside of the post! Felix should bundle home, but hesitates, and Gunn flaps away. What a save! Again!
82 min: Dalot twists Robertson down the right and cuts back for Felix, whose diving header towards the bottom right is brilliantly parried by Gunn. The ball squirts right for Ronaldo, who hits the post!
80 min: Fernandes is booked for flapping his gums at the referee, having just fouled McGinn. He keeps on going, too, but eventually calms down before talking himself into serious trouble.
79 min: That was a gorgeous move by Portugal, though, and came about because Scotland started sitting back again, like they did at the start of the half. And look how that ended up.
78 min: Portugal open Scotland up with some pretty triangles down the inside-left channel. Ronaldo’s back-heel finds Felix free. He’s one on one with Gunn and looks for the bottom right. Gunn sticks out a leg and blocks brilliantly. That’s made up for the mistake he made for the equaliser. The keeper back in credit tonight!
76 min: Nélson Semedo is replaced by Diogo Dalot.
74 min: McLean goes down and requires some treatment. Ronaldo suggests some time-wasting is going on. Robertson has his say too, and the referee tells them both to zip it. McLean can’t continue, though, and is replaced by Gauld, while Conway comes on for Dykes.
72 min: The crowd give Gunn the what-for as he takes an age over distributing the ball. Scotland are doing a good job of frustrating Portugal, who were flying during the moments leading up to their goal, but have been strangely subdued since.
70 min: Scotland are back in this game. McTominay and Ralston battle down the right to win a corner. The set piece is only half cleared. Ralston meets it on the edge of the D, but blazes wildly over, and in any case McKenna had clattered Costa so the whistle goes to release the pressure on the hosts.
68 min: Rúben Neves is booked for a clip on McGinn. Then Portugal make a double change, swapping out Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leão for João Félix and João Neves.
66 min: McTominay has a dig from distance. Diogo Costa claims easily enough. Portugal counter, Diogo Jota dribbling into the box and going over, but Gunn, spread at his feet, didn’t touch him. A quick VAR check confirms.
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65 min: A bigger penalty shout by Scotland this time, as McTominay’s shot from a tight angle on the right is blocked. Christie picks up the rebound and slams the ball goalwards. It pings off António Silva’s chest and then caroms off Nélson Semedo. Did it hit an arm? Scotland say yes. Referee and VAR say no. The replays favour the latter.
64 min: Scotland win a corner down the right. They do nothing with it, but this is much better: they’ve responded well to conceding the equaliser.
63 min: Robertson slips a diagonal pass infield from the left for Gilmour, who tries to break into the box but falls and surfs the turf on the old nips. The crowd scream for a penalty, with António Silva right behind him, but Silva nicked the ball and there wasn’t much contact anyway. Gilmour doesn’t claim, which speaks volumes.
61 min: Some medical attention for the poor referee, who has run slap-bang into Hanley and taken a whack upside the head. An ice cube is pressed on his temple. He’s fine to continue.
60 min: … so having said that, McGinn shows in attack on the left and is brought down by Nélson Semedo. Gilmour floats the free kick into the Portugal box, and though the ball pinballs around, it doesn’t drop to Scottish feet.
59 min: “Nice to see Scotland giving the grass a chance to recover at the other end of the pitch,” notes a tinder-dry Jake Robertson. Scotland had some sort of threat on the counter during the first half. Now they’re offering nothing. Time for Ben Doak, perhaps?
57 min: Ronaldo sashays in from the right and aims for the top left. He finds the top left of the stand behind the goal. “I reckon your empty half-time postbag is a timing-of-the-game thing,” begins Scott Blair. “I want to stress unreservedly, and without fear of let or hindrance, that I am not a stereotypical Scottish person. However, when this game kicked off I had just about dealt with my hangover from Saturday, and I’m working on Monday. It’s simply not natural.”
56 min: To be fair, Fernandes did give that a good whack, but you’d still expect your keeper to parry or turn the ball around the post. A shame for Gunn, who made a couple of fine stops in the first half.
GOAL! Portugal 1-1 Scotland (Fernandes 54)
This had been coming. A cutback from the left by Leão. From the edge of the D, Fernandes hits a first-time shot towards the bottom right. Gunn should save but his hand isn’t strong this time, and the shot squeaks into the corner.
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53 min: Ronaldo claims a tug on the jersey by McKenna, but the referee’s not interested. Portugal come again, and Fernandes crosses dangerously from the right. Gunn punches clear confidently, but the hosts have started the second half as they finished the first: pinning Scotland back.
52 min: Ronaldo makes a run down the right. Danger here, but he flashes his shot into the side netting.
51 min: Robertson goes in late on Rúben Neves, half tackle, half slip. It didn’t look deliberate, but it was clumsy. A yellow card, and there’s no argument from Scotland’s captain, who apologises.
49 min: Scotland continue to sit deep. The away supporters entertain themselves with a loud version of Flower of Scotland. They give it laldie. Always enjoy yourself when the going is good.
47 min: Portugal are immediately on the front foot. Nélson Semedo and Jota combine down the right but can’t get the better of McGinn and Gilmour. António Silva then dribbles dangerously down the inside-left channel, but runs out of space in the Scottish box.
Portgual get the second half underway, having made two changes. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rúben Neves come on for João Palhinha and Pedro Neto.
Our half-time postbag isn’t exactly bulging at the seams, but here it is anyway. “Good to have the jaws of victory stretched open and wide for inspection by Scotspeople everywhere, before the inevitable snatching arrives. McTominay’s fine goal has made those teeth shine brighter, while it lasts” – Justin Kavanagh
Half-time statistical breakdown.
Portugal shots at goal: 16
Portugal shots on target: 3
Scotland shots at goal: 1
Scotland shots on target: 1
HALF TIME: Portugal 0-1 Scotland
Of all footballing nations on earth, Scotland know not to count their chickens. And yet it should still be acceptable to say the following: well, well, well.
45 min: There will be one additional first-half minute.
44 min: Leao has the chance to tee up Neto, but opts to drag a shot wide left. Neto is not happy.
43 min: Bernardo Silva jinks and spins elegantly down the left and chips a cross into the middle. Scotland half clear, but the ball drops to Fernandes on the edge of the D. He absolutely blooters a volley goalwards, but McKenna takes it flush in the chest to stop what would have been almost certainly a spectacular goal. What bravery!
41 min: Leão has been torturing Ralston, so Christie comes across to help this time. The plan works, too, with Leão clumsily running the ball out of play after finding there’s no opportunity to cross.
39 min: Christie is booked for upending an in-flight Nuno Mendes. As tackles from behind go, you can’t get much more agricultural, and there are no arguments. “This is just the same hope/disappointment cycle stretched out longer,” suggests James Humphries. “Though to be fair, losing at home to Poland then somehow mugging Portugal away (to, inevitably, miss out by one or two points in the end) would be Peak Scotland.”
37 min: From 25 yards, Nuno Mendes sends a dipping, bouncing, skimming shot inches wide of the right-hand post. Gunn had it covered, just, but Portugal have come close on a few occasions now. Scotland holding onto their lead with grim determination.
36 min: Robertson swings it in. McLean competes too hard and the whistle goes for a free kick.
35 min: Scotland enjoy a couple of minutes of possession. Enough to frustrate Portugal into skittling Dykes out on the right touchline. A free kick and a chance to load the box.
33 min: Nélson Semedo crosses from the right, forcing McKenna to head out for another corner. The set piece is sent backwards for Mendes, who hoicks a dreadful shot a long way wide left.
31 min: Fernandes, quarterbacking from deep on the right, wedges a diagonal defence-splitting pass towards Jota, who stoops and steers a powerful header towards the bottom right. Gunn with another strong hand, another fine save.
29 min: To be fair, a composite player made up with bits of Lilian Thuram, Carlos Alberto and Cafu would struggle to cope with Rafael Leão in this mood. Poor Ralston has a job on tonight.
27 min: Leao dinks infield for António Silva, who should work Gunn at the very least, but eyebrows over the bar from ten yards.
26 min: In fact, Leao is less giving Ralston the runaround than simply ignoring his existence. He’s been excellent so far.
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24 min: Steve Clarke is told to pipe down by the referee, the result of a long tactical exposition directed at Ralston, who is being given the runaround by Leao.
22 min: Robertson’s delivers the free kick towards a non-existent player to the right of the Portuguese goal. The hosts counter, the ever-dangerous Leao zipping down the left and cutting back for Jota, who scoops a shot over the bar from 12 yards. Portugal repeatedly knocking on the door.
21 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Scotland go up the other end through the big-leggy McTominay, who is eventually upended 25 yards from goal, just to the left of centre.
20 min: Leao drives in from the left and whistles a low drive towards the bottom-left corner. It’s flying in, but Gunn gets down to tip around the post with a strong hand. The keeper’s had his critics, sometimes deservedly so, but that’s a world-class stop. Leao’s shot looked in all the way.
18 min: McKenna goes long in the hope of releasing Dykes down the left. Costa comes to the edge of his box to collect.
17 min: Neto crosses from the left. Antonio Silva heads over. Scotland take a while over the resulting goal kick, which generates much irate whistling from the home crowd. Scotland will be delighted at the way things have gone so far.
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15 min: Robertson steals the ball in Scotland territory and McTominay romps forward on the counter. The ball’s shifted to Ralston, overlapping on the right, but the pass isn’t a good one. He crosses but the ball clanks back off him and out for a goal kick. That attack, with Portugal light at the back, promised more. Not Ralston’s fault. He’s much better in attack than defence.
13 min: Fernandes is fouled by Ralston in midfield. While the pair jabber at each other, Leao is sent scampering down the left, chasing a quick free kick. His shot-cum-cross is deflected out for a corner, from which nothing comes. Portugal have responded to conceding by coming back at Scotland hard.
11 min: Leao certainly has the beating of Ralston down the left. He reaches the byline and tugs back for Jota, who can’t force a shot goalwards. Scotland clear. Portugal are going to cause a lot of bother along this flank.
9 min: That’s McTominay’s 11th goal for Scotland. It’s nearly immediately cancelled out by Leao, who burns past Ralston, Gilmour and Hanley down the left and flashes a shot into the side netting. Gunn had it covered, but what a run.
GOAL! Portugal 0-1 Scotland (McTominay 7)
A shock! Scotland score! Not so much a shock: it’s McTominay who scores it. Portugal only half-clear a free kick. The ball’s picked up by McLean on the left. He curls a majestic cross into the box. McTominay, timing his run perfectly from behind a static back line, arrives on the edge of the six-yard box from the right and powers a header across Diogo Costa and into the top left! What a fine goal!
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6 min: Fernandes dinks a clever pass infield from the left. Silva shuttles it further towards the centre for Jota, who can’t quite sort his feet out on the edge of the box and hooks a shot wide right.
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5 min: … nothing much. But that’s a decent couple of minutes for Scotland, who hadn’t had much of a sniff beforehand. Hopefully it’ll settle them.
4 min: McTominay takes a quick free kick in the middle of the park and sends McGinn skittering off down the left. The referee considers pulling play back – the ball was probably rolling when McTominay took the free kick – but decides against it, and McGinn wins a corner. That corner leads to another, which leads to …
2 min: Portgual stroke it around like they own the gaff. Which they sort of do. Bernardo Silva drops deep on the right and tries to find Pedro Neto with a cute pass down the channel but there’s too much on it and it flies through to Gunn. A big gap in the Scotland defence there.
Scotland get the ball rolling. The Estádio da Luz making a rare old racket.
The teams are out! Portugal wear red and green, while Scotland are in second-choice “light mint blue with purple” which is said to represent [adjusts pince-nez, squints] “a new twist on tartan with fresh colours and a disruptive design randomly placed across the sides and back.” Lord Rosebery will be spinning in his grave. Anyway, once the patriotic folk ditties are warbled, we’ll be up and away.
Here’s how A1 stands after the first round of matches. Scotland will visit Croatia and host Portugal during the October break; in November they’ll welcome Croatia to Hampden before travelling to Poland.
Poland P1 W1 D0 L0 F3 A2 Pts 3
Portugal P1 W1 D0 L0 F2 A1 Pts 3
Scotland P1 W0 D0 L1 F2 A3 Pts 0
Croatia P1 W0 D0 L1 F1 A2 Pts 0
Scotland have lost four of their last five games against Portugal to the aggregate tune of 12-2. The other meeting ended goalless. Their last victory over the Portuguese came in March 1980, Andy Gray, Kenny Dalglish, Steve Archibald and Archie Gemmill scoring the goals in a 4-1 Hampden rout. Here’s what happened the last time everyone met …
Team news: Scots unchanged, Ronaldo benched
Scotland pick the same XI that started the Poland game. The public cry out for more Ben Doak and Ryan Gauld but Steve Clarke, ever the showman, keeps ‘em wanting more.
Portugal meanwhile make four changes to their team in the wake of their 2-1 victory over Croatia. Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Dalot get some rest on the bench, while Vitinha and Gonçalo Bernardo Inácio miss out altogether; Nélson Semedo, António Silva, João Palhinha and Diogo Jota step up.
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The teams
Portugal: Costa, Semedo, Dias, Silva, Palhinha, Fernandes, Silva, Leão, Mendes, Neto, Jota.
Scotland: Gunn, Ralston, Hanley, McKenna, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, Christie, McTominay, McGinn, Dykes.
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy).
🔢 Tonight’s team in Lisbon.#PORSCO pic.twitter.com/fk2JtMaNM2
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 8, 2024
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Preamble
Well, Thursday night didn’t pan out in the ideal manner … though if nothing else events faithfully adhered to traditional character-driven narrative structure: a brave performance, flashes of hope, a twist of the knife at the very end. And so now, having lost what was on paper their easiest fixture in League A1, Scotland are pretty much behind the eight-ball from the get-go. Tonight the task level shifts from easiest to hardest: away to Portugal, the eighth-best side in the world, and one whose line is led by a man who has scored 131 international goals. God speed, Steve. Good luck, gentlemen. Kick-off is at 7.45pm BST. It’s on!
