That’s it for tonight. Or is it this morning, I’m not entirely sure. Either way, thanks for your company and emails, which enlivened a very strange evening. Scotland are so close to Euro 2024, already. Goodnight!
Scott McTominay speaks
"We had to win here today and there was no time to rest." 🗣️
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
🏴 @ScotlandNT's Scott McTominay talks after yet another goal tonight!#EURO2024 | #SCOGEO pic.twitter.com/45B8CG7tWE
“Scotland, France, England and Portugal are the only teams with a 100% record in Euro 2024 qualifying so far with four wins out of four,” writes/weeps Simon McMahon. “That’s not a sentence that I ever thought I’d have to write. Less than a year now to the opening fixture in Munich…”
Full time: Scotland 2-0 Georgia
Peep peep! Scotland move – and you’ll like this - eight points clear at the top of Group A after a rain-affected win over Georgia. Callum McGregor scored before the players went off the field because of a waterlogged pitch, and the increasingly prolific Scott McTominay added a second just after half-time.
Scotland were comfortable, and they have won the first four games in qualification for the first time in their history. Something will have to go badly wrong for them to miss out on a trip to Germany next summer.
Kvaratskhelia misses the penalty!
It was a poor penalty, spanked high over the bar. Gunn went the right way but it didn’t matter because the ball was launched into the heavens.
Updated
Penalty to Georgia! Another very modern penalty decision. Hickey was off balance because of a challenge with a Georgian player, and his arm was outstretched as a result.
VAR check for a Georgia penalty! A dipping free-kick seemed to hit the arm of Hickey, and this may well be given.
90 min Four minutes of added time.
89 min Three and a half hours after it kicked off, the match is finally petering out. Ultimately, for all the fun and games, it has been a comfortable win for Scotland.
87 min Every cloud…
4:20pm, flight from Bristol delayed for an hour and a half after boarding. Moved plane, take off 6pm, 7pm land in Glasgow. 45 mins in traffic and get parked half an hour from hampden. 20:57 finally make it into hampden and only missed 6 mins of the game, happy days 😂 pic.twitter.com/9qlYCxm8G1
— CC (@craigconnacher) June 20, 2023
86 min: Scotland substitution Kenny McLean, the hero of Oslo, replaces the quietly excellent Billy Gilmour.
85 min Georgia keep the ball for a minute or more, but they can’t get behind Scotland. Eventually Mikautadze whips a decent shot from 20 yards that goes just over the bar. Gunn probably had it covered.
81 min Mikautadze clips a nonchalant through ball towards Davitashvili, forcing Angus Gunn to dive bravely at his feet. Fine goalkeeping.
79 min: Scotland substitutions John Souttar, Ryan Jack and Kevin Nisbet replace Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor and Lyndon Dykes.
78 min McGinn finds Dykes in a bit of space on the edge of the area. His shot is well blocked by Kashia.
76 min “I think I’d put old No-Feet in the ‘been quietly very good’ column for tonight,” writes James Humphries of Billy Gilmour, “as he usually is for Scotland - won a few good balls near his own penalty area, constantly occupying two Georgian defenders, and heading long out-balls away from danger if he can’t find a man. Like I said, I’ve a lot of time for him! (We’ll even pass discreetly over when he got put through on goal and immediately went ‘what the hell are these things at the end of my legs’.)
I quite like that MGM midfield actually, they complement each other well.
Updated
75 min Gagnidze is booked for dissent.
75 min “Unfortunately for Matt, it’s looking as bad for Wales as it good for Scotland,” says Simon McMahon. “He’ll always have 2016, mind. And if we make the semi-finals in Germany next year, I’ll happily buy him three pints of Penderyn.”
73 min: Chance for Georgia! A bit of a scare for Scotland. Kakabadze’s fierce cross from the right is palmed away by Gunn, but only as far as Mikautadze, who swishes a volley into the side netting from 12 yards. He’s usually a decent finisher and looks annoyed with himself.
72 min: Chance for Scotland! The corner is taken short and worked to Gilmour, whose inviting cross is headed over from eight yards by Porteous. That was a great chance.
Updated
72 min Hickey runs onto a good return pass from McGregor, forcing Gagnidze to come across and concede a corner.
70 min Scotland have Georgia at arm’s length. I guess had the internet existed in 1978, somebody would have written ‘Scotland have Iran at arm’s length’. But at the moment it doesn’t feel like there is a nasty surprise round the corner.
70 min Hickey plays a reverse pass towards McGregor in the area. It’s slightly telegraphed, which allows Kashia to shepherd the ball behind for a goalkick.
68 min And now Gocholeishvili is booked for fouling Hickey.
67 min Robertson is booked for a soggy foul on Davitashvili.
65 min: Georgia substitution Zuriko Davitashvili, who scored the winner against Cyprus on Saturday, replaces Saba Lobjanidze.
63 min McTominay’s through ball to Dykes takes a slight but crucial touch off a defender, allowing Mamardashvili to come out and claim. McTominay has been a constant threat, certainly since half-time.
60 min Kiteishvili shoots over from 30 yards. It was beautifully struck but Angus Gunn had it covered.
59 min Billy Gilmour has been good tonight. Players of his ilk – the opposite of highlights players – tend not to get mentioned very often on liveblogs, but he’s been busy and neat as usual.
58 min The rampaging McTominay shoots wide from the edge of the D, this time with his right foot.
56 min: Georgia substitution Giorgi Gocholeishvili and Budu Zivzivadze replace Nika Kvekveskiri and Lasha Dvali.
55 min McGregor tries to find McTominay in the area with a cute reverse pass. It’s intercepted and rolls back to McGregor, who shoots high and wide from the edge of the area. He’s annoyed with himself, because that was a chance.
55 min He hasn’t done a huge amount tonight, but jeez Kvaratskhelia is a beautiful player to watch.
55 min Kvaratskhelia beats two players through sleight of hip and finds Mikautadze on the edge of the area. He moves it into the area for Kiteishvili, who tries to take on Robertson and is crucially tackled.
54 min On that note, apparently the trip to Norway was the first time Scotland had won a game after trailing with 10 minutes to go since the 19th century.
53 min Scotland are in control for the time being. I’m pretty sure they have never won their first four games in qualification, so they are 37 minutes away from making history.
51 min “Is McTominay just played out of position or something at Man United?” says James Humphries. “He’s a constant figure of fun, it seems, but he’s been scorching for Scotland for a while now.”
He’s been a decentplayer for United, for all the McFred nonsense, but yeah he has generally played as a defensive midfielder. There were a few times last season when Ten Hag used him further forward. I also think Scotland’s system gives him a bit more freedom than he would get in a 4-2-3-1.
48 min That was a really neat finish from McTominay with his weaker foot, both imaginative and precise.
It’s McTominay’s fifth goal in four games in this group, and he took it superbly. Robertson cut inside from the left and was tackled, with the ball bouncing up outside the area. McTominay charged onto it, controlled the ball deftly with his right foot and then shaped a superb left-footed shot from the edge of the area that beat Mamardashvili at the near post.
Make that a 5th goal of the campaign for Scott McTominay! 🙌
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
He LOVES scoring at Hampden and Scotland are now well and truly in control of this one 🏴#EURO2024 | #SCOGEO | @ScotlandNT | @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/0SsMOmOc5g
Updated
GOAL! Scotland 2-0 Georgia (McTominay 47)
The goal machine strikes again!
Updated
46 min Georgia begin the second half, kicking from left to right as we watch.
The players are out for the second half. It’s 10.28pm, local time, and Dr Death has probably seen off two or three already. Never mind.
“I mean, major tournaments are overrated,” says our resident Wales fan Matt Dony. “But I hope Scotland continue this run and make it to Germany, if only for McMahon!”
Even if Scotland make the final of Euro 2024, only to lose on penalties to Georgia, Simon McMahon will struggle to match your tour de force during the Euro 2016 semi-final.
Half-time reading
Half time: Scotland 1-0 Georgia
After two and a half hours, the first half comes to an end. Scotland still lead through an early goal (in more ways than one) from Callum McGregor, and they have had the better chances since play resumes following a biblical downpour. See you in 15 minutes for the second half, hopefully.
45+4 min Hickey is booked for a late tackle on Kvekveskiri. He was going for the ball but didn’t get it.
45+1 min Four minutes of added time.
45 min All of a sudden Scotland are rampant. McGinn connects properly with a vicious shot from 25 yards that hits the shoulder of Kvekveskiri and deflects over the bar. That was certainly on target.
43 min: Fine save by Mamardasvili! Scott McTominay almost gets his fifth goal in Group A. He received the ball from McGregor on the left side of the area, took a couple of touches to create a soupcon of space and then threaded a low shot across goal, through a crowd of defenders. Mamardashvili saw it late but plunged to his left to fingertip it round the post. That’s a really terrific save.
Updated
41 min: Great chance for McGinn! Robertson surges infield from the left and slides a perfect angled pass to the unmarked McGinn, 12 yards out. He takes the shot first time but completely mistimes it, presumably because of the pitch, and ends up knocking the ball tamely to the feet of a Georgian defender.
Updated
40 min McGregor combines with Robertson on the left and then reverses a nice pass to Tierney on the left corner of the box. He flips a cross that is headed back across goal and wide by McGinn. A decent effort, though Mamardashvili had it covered.
39 min Georgia have had a lot of the ball in the last 20 minutes or so but it’s been almost entirely in front of the Scotland defence. In fact, it hasn’t been much of a game. The shenanigans were far more entertaining.
36 min “Scotland looking well on top,” writes James Humphries. “McTominay rampaging, Dykes winning balls at left-back; Georgia equaliser just before half-time it is, then.”
34 min Another fantastic cross from Robertson just evades McGinn and the diving Dyche on the six-yard line. Robertson has been superb in attack.
33 min This is looking… not ominous for Scotland, but maybe a little disquieting. When Georgia skulked onto the field I thought Scotland might run them ragged. Instead it’s a pretty even game.
32 min “Sorry to hear you’re on overtime duty this late summer evening,” writes Gary Byrne. “I can do you a MBM of Dr Death if that would suffice?”
Surely it would a DBD report?
31 min “Given tonight’s events, I’d imagine that a ‘warm’ welcome will await Scotland when the return fixture takes place in Georgia in November,” says Simon McMahon. “Though a win tonight, and in the next qualifier against Cyprus, would mean that Scotland could probably forfeit the game and just have a couple of days sightseeing in Tbilisi instead. Seriously, a win tonight and then in Cyprus would likely guarantee qualification AFTER FIVE STRAIGHT WINS, RIGHT?!”
30 min We’ve been having some technical problems, apologies. You haven’t missed much, just a dangerous cross from Robertson (I think) that was cleared at the near post.
Georgia, who were only really on the field in body for the first 20 minutes, are having a lot more of the ball now.
25 min The first bit of skill from Kvaratskhelia, who rolls McTominay sweetly in the centre circle, then slips past Gilmour and is fouled.
24 min Georgia are enjoying their first extended spell of possession, although maybe ‘enjoying’ isn’t the right word given their enthusiasm for coming back on the field. Scotland need to be careful, though; they’re only 1-0 up. The night doesn’t need any additional farce.
22 min Scotland have had 71 per cent possession so far, and it’s not every decade you can say that.
21 min A rare Georgia attack ends with Mikautadze shooting miles wide from distance.
19 min Nothing comes of the corner. This still feels very weird. I was hoping to watch Dr Death on Channel 4 at 10pm.
19 min Scotland have been much the better team since the resumption. Gilmour wins a corner down the right, which will be taken by McGinn.
18 min An attempted clearance hits Dykes, 30 yards out, and flies wide of goal. The keeper Mamardashvili was scrambling, though it was nowhere near the goal.
17 min A deep cross from Tierney is met by Dykes, but he mistimes his header and the ball bounces off his shoulder and wide. Half a chance at best.
15 min The other match in this group finished Norway 3-1 Cyprus, with Erling Haaland getting two of the goals. He’s now one behind Scott McTominay in the race for the imaginary Group A golden boot.
14 min “Here in the USA! (etc), Fox decided to show us Iceland vs Portugal,” writes Joe Pearson. “It’s nice and sunny, and Portugal have a VAR delayed goal given at the death, with Iceland down to ten men. But, as I mentioned, it’s SUNNY!”
13 min There’s still a lot of surface water splashing around, but the ball is moving okay. Robertson charges impatiently into the area from the left and drives a low cross that is pushed away by the diving Mamardashvili. Thankfully for Georgia it doesn’t fall for a Scotland player. That was a statement run from Robertson.
Updated
11 min Lobjanidze has an early pop at goal, firing a cross-shot wide of the far post.
10 min Hang on, the game has restarted after 10 minutes, not seven, which is a bit strange. The last touch was McGregor’s goal after six minutes.
Updated
7 min Peep peep! The match resumes with Georgia kicking off after Callum McGregor’s goal.
Okay. Both teams are on the pitch, the ball is moving freely. A football match is about to break out.
The match will now resume at 9.35pm
I think that’s the fourth time it’s been put back. In the circumstances, the atmosphere is fantastic.
The match should be finishing about now. Instead it’s about to resume, six minutes old, with Scotland 1-0 up through Callum McGregor.
“It’s still 0-0 according to the score at the top of the page, even though McGregor has been credited with scoring in the sixth minute,” writes Kevin Campbell. “Is this a case of Schrödinger’s goal or are we waiting to see if the game is abandoned before it is given?”
It’s a case of Schrödinger’s external feed that we can’t fix from the office, but somebody is on the case.
“Wet Wet Wet for some entertainment?” wonders Nora Mulcahy.
The Georgian players are booed onto the pitch. You might call it premature, but I’m not entirely certain this game will end 11 v 11.
The match will resume at 9.30pm
The Scotland players make a point of applauding all the fans before going back into the tunnel. As they walk in, the Georgia players emerge from the dressing-room, oozing joie de vivre.
Updated
“Broken Irn Bru bottle strewn ash pitches in Eaterhouse in the mid 80s,” says Colin Huxtable. “Frost bite in the toes and dodging a Mitre 5 to the face like a ninja. It was character forming.”
I’ll see your Mitre 5 and raise you the Mitre Mouldmaster.
Now the referee is conducting another inspection. To be honest, conditions aren’t bad now. There’s a bit of surface water but the ball is rolling smoothly. Scott McTominay pointedly boots a couple of balls past the referee, into the net, to demonstrate the playability of the pitch.
Updated
“Ian Gillan doesn’t know he’s born,” says David Hopkins. “If he thinks Hampden Park is cold he should try the away end at Boundary Park. I hear scientists had to recalibrate their definition of absolute zero after attending a night game there.”
Imagine being a ball-playing defender in those conditions in the late 1980s, wearing short shorts, on a plastic pitch, with Ian Marshall galumping towards you.
Georgia are refusing to play!
Oh this is hilarious, a distant relative of Tallinn 1996. Apparently the president of the Georgina FA is in the dressing-room with the players and is trying to negotiate with Fifa.
There are rumours that the Georgia players are staging a sit-in. On one level, this is hilarious.
Still no sign of the Georgia players. Anyone getting deja vu?
It’s on! Here come the players. Well, okay, here come the Scotland players. It looks like the match is going to take place after all.
“Ian Gillan should go to Gayfield, home of Arbroath FC, in December,” writes Simon McMahon. “Literally a stone’s throw from the North Sea. Makes Hampden feel like Boxing Day in Melbourne.”
Updated
Apparently the match will resume at 9.15pm if – and it’s a Brobdingnagian if - there’s no more rain.
Next up on the Hampden PA
“Enjoying your Ashes comparisons Rob,” says Michael Keane, “but surely for a proper Bazball effect, Scotland should have declared after eight minutes?”
It’s too soon.
The players are leaving the field. I suspect you’ve already discerned this, but I’ve no idea what’s going on.
GOAL! Norway 2-0 Cyprus (Haaland 56 pen) Would you believe it.
We’re past the scheduled kick-off time. The groundstaff/stewards/anyone who fancies it are still sweeping water off the pitch, and the players are… I was going to say warming up, but many of the Georgina players are just loitering, wondering what kind of civilisation they have stumbled into.
“Thanks for covering the water polo tonight,” writes Ian Gillan. “I was at Hampden in 2012 for one of the early World Cup women’s football games, which featured North Korea. Someone accidentally displayed the South Korea flag on the big screen before the game and caused a major row among the North Korean squad, all of whom refused to come out for about an hour and a half.
“Hampden is a notoriously cold place at the best of times, and the stands weren’t exactly packed for that match. By the time the players were finally coaxed into putting in an appearance I was about the only person left in the stadium. I had to go home at half time because I’ve never felt so cold in my life.
“The fans seem in good spirits tonight, but I hope they’ve packed a jumper for the second half.”
“Loving the different approaches here,” says James Humphries. “Georgia standing about collectively going ‘are you kidding on, man’ while Scotland warm up with a general air of ‘it’s Glasgow in June, you were expecting what, exactly?’. Mind games!”
The tortoise and the hare: it’s like watching the Ashes all over again.
I hate to cast aspersions, but I’m not sure some of the Georgian players are giving 110 per cent in their warm-up. The ball is actually rolling pretty well, a lot better than it did during the first six minutes of the game. It might actually be playable you know.
“I am sat in my flat one street over from Hampden and the minute that announcement came through for provisional restart the rainfall became heavier,” says Zach Simm. “My money is still on abandonment.”
“I remember that era,” says James Humphries. “I know fine well what I meant.”
You and Scott Murray would get on famously, at least until the fifth pint.
Updated
‘There’s good news and bad news’
A) The players are out on the field warming up
B) It’s pouring down
“For christ’s sake,” says James Humphries, “how can it be this tense watching Scotland not play? (Yeah, yeah; Levein’s 6-4-0 notwithstanding.)
I thought it was 4-6-0? Give the man some credit.
Updated
The match is on! (Provisionally.)
The players are going to warm up for 10 minutes at 8.45pm BST, which is in about five minutes. If everyone is happy with life, the match will resume at 8.55pm.
Updated
“I have to admit,” says Peter Oh, “that I didn’t expect Scotland to make such a huge splash in this group.”
This doesn’t look good. The referee has just tried bouncing a ball, and it didn’t even reach shin height. It’s rolling perfectly well, mind you, so maybe that will satisfy the officials.
The Hampden DJ is having some on-the-nose fun
The officials are having another look at the pitch. Conditions have certainly improved, and it’s no longer raining, but my hunch is it will be called off.
Here we go again! 👀
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
The referee is back for a second pitch inspection 🌧#EURO2024 | #SCOGEO pic.twitter.com/oQ1HLcJXFE
Updated
“Good news for the nation’s pubs though…” says Tony Barr. “If the game restarts they’ll have done even better on a wet Tuesday than expected. The one I’m in is packed and there’s no sign of drinking being suspended…”
The referee isn’t happy with the pitch. There will be a second inspection at 8.35pm.
The umpires have come out to inspect the outfield. No news yet, but we’ll keep you posted. Apparently if it is abandoned tonight, the match will take place tomorrow evening. Not sure what happens to Callum McGregor’s goal though.
“Alright, I’ll admit it,” says James Humphries. “I did not have ‘act of a vengeful god’ as the way by which the points would get away from us tonight. It’s definitely not raining anymore, btw. Barely spitting; it’s been far too hot anyway.”
You can probably guess what song is being played over the PA
Updated
The other game in this group is 25 minutes old. Norway lead Cyprus 1-0 through a goal from … nope, not him.
Meanwhile in Oslo, Norway take an early lead over Cyprus 🇳🇴
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
A nice strike from Ola Solbakken finds the bottom corner 👏#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/4PFxMZ8k1Z
Updated
Taking the positives
“Well this is just typical, isn’t it?” says Simon McMahon. “One of those sporting sliding doors moments, like Henman v Ivanisevic at Wimbledon, or Rose v Mickelson at the Ryder Cup, or Stokes not spilling the catch with Australia eight down at Edgbaston. Match abandoned, Scotland lose the replay and collapse to fourth in the group without picking up another point. Well it was fun while it lasted I suppose.”
The stewards are brushing the water off the pitch. It’s not the most sophisticated operation, I’ll be honest, but I doubt this was in the job description.
Apparently it is still raining, though not as heavily as before the game. I’m not sure we’re going to see any more football tonight. Presumably they could return tomorrow afternoon/evening at a push.
Updated
Match suspended for 20 minutes
7.58 pm I won’t lie, after that heart-stopping, brain-melting Ashes Test I was looking forward to a quiet, uneventful night.
The match has been suspended at Hampden and the players have been taken off the pitch just after Scotland's goal 🌧
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
Just a few minutes into the game, the referee brings a halt to proceedings due to surface water on the pitch
Reportedly, the hope is for just a 20 minute delay 🤞 pic.twitter.com/gOyVeqaR9x
Updated
The players are leaving the field
The match hasn’t been abandoned, as far as I’m aware. It looks like it has stopped raining, so they might just give the groundstaff half an hour to clear the surface water.
Updated
10 min Robertson points to his head and says “the ball’s bouncing here”. He wants to continue, and so would I if my team was 1-0 up.
9 min Now the referee is talking to the two captains, Andy Robertson and Guram Kashia. Robertson gently shoves another Georgian player away.
Updated
The referee has run off the field. At first it seemed like there was a VAR check, but now I think he’s talking to some suits about whether to abandon the game. Or perhaps the VAR technology is down because of all the rain.
Updated
McGinn’s corner from the right was headed away at the near post. McGregor charged onto the ball, 15 yards out, and lifted a right-foot shot that went through the hand of the diving Mamardashvili and into the net.
The fast start Scotland wanted as @CelticFC's Callum McGregor finds the bottom corner! 🏴
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
Steve Clarke's men continue their incredible run early on in this one 🔥#EURO2024 | #SCOGEO pic.twitter.com/Kml1vzrvjd
Updated
GOAL! Scotland 1-0 Georgia (McGregor 6)
Good luck calling it off now – Scotland have scored!
Updated
6 min Willy Sagnol, the Georgia manager, already seems to be asking for the game to be abandoned. He’s got a point; this is just weird.
5 min What the hell happened there? Lobjanidze cuts inside from the right and hits a left-footed shot from the edge of the area. Gunn leaves it, safe in the knowledge that it’s going wide of the far post – but then it changes direction after landing on the water. It goes wide anyway but for a split-second it looked like there might be a farcical goal.
4 min “Genuine question as to whether the pitch is going to have a meaningful part in a major event,” says Tony Barr. “It’s a boon for anyone who routinely over hits their passes tbf…”
My first touch would be immaculate on this.
3 min Kvaratskhelia tries to run with the ball, whiich is barely moving becaues of the water. This already has a whiff of farce.
1 min Peep peep! The match is under way. Jeez, this pitch is so wet, with a splash of water every time the ball bounces.
Updated
There’s a minute’s applause for the mighty Gordon McQueen, who died last week aged 70.
Summer in Glasgow
🗣️ "I think they'll be more aggressive and more on the front foot."@Sports_EmmaD, Alan Hutton and Kevin Thomson discuss Steve Clarke's reign in charge of Scotland, as well as the chances against Georgia tonight 🏴#EURO2024 | #SCOGEO pic.twitter.com/6rorggylIV
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 20, 2023
Pitch inspection The referee is happy that the pitch is playable, so here come the players. The weather is almost beyond satire.
“Scotland are operating with just the one Andrew today,” writes Peter Oh, “whereas Georgia have got a Giorgi and a Georges in the starting XI and five Giorgis among their substitutes. Stacked!”
Topical pre-match music
Steve Clarke speaks
We need to be on the front foot tonight, we need to create chances, and putting Billy [Gilmour] in midfield should give us better control in that area.
The lad from Napoli is a really good player, Kvaratskhelia. They’re a good side – they’ve got a number of other good players and their coach has got them very well organised.
Sign up to Football Daily! It’s dead free.
The rain is so heavy that the players have aborted their warm-ups. In this weather it’s more of a pneumonia-up.
Tubthumping department
“Not that I’m scarred or anything,” begins James Humphries, “but I’d just like to point out that after the Spain game, I confidently predicted nicking a result off Norway before somehow blowing it against Georgia (who have done us before, most notably with a 17-year-old debutant goalie). So I reckon 0-1 or 1-2 to Georgia, with one or both of the following: catastrophic defending leading to a Georgia goal out of nowhere, or Lyndon ‘the man with no feet’ Dykes* skying a gilt-edged chance thanks to the aforementioned pedi-impediment.
“Because, c’mon. It would be entirely nonsensical to blow it from here; and so, inevitably, that’s what we’ll do.
“* I have a lot of time for Dykes - he always gives maximum effort and makes himself a pain for defenders - and will concede that he appeared to have at least a foot against Norway; but I maintain that’s only because not even he could manage to chest that ball in. The layup for McLean is harder to fit into this theory, I admit.”
The weekend’s action in Group A
The weather at Hampden: biblical
“Until recently the BBC weather app was showing 0% chance of rain,” writes Tony Barr. “This was at the same time it was literally chucking it down. I’ve been to Tblisi a few times (food is amazing and it’s very friendly) and it never rained. Not sure if this is a definitive call as a Scotland advantage however…”
Updated
We’ll also keep an eye on Norway v Cyprus, the other game in this group. Spain aren’t playing in this round of fixtures as they’ve been busy winning the Nations League.
Team news: Gilmour starts
Steve Clarke makes one change from the side that started in Norway on Saturday. Billy Gilmour replaces Ryan Christie, which could mean a switch from 3-4-2-1 to 3-5-1-1.
Georgia make four changes from their win over Cyprus. Solomon Kverkvelia, Luka Gagnidze, Lasha Dvali, Saba Lobjanidze replace Luka Lochoshvili, Giorgi Gocholeishvili, Giorgi Chakvetadze and Irakli Azarov.
Scotland (possible 3-5-1-1) Gunn; Porteous, Hendry, Tierney; Hickey, McTominay, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson; McGinn; Dykes.
Substitutes: Kelly, Clark, Souttar, Shankland, Christie, Cooper, Armstrong, Ferguson, Nisbet, Jack, Taylor, McLean.
Georgia (possible 3-5-2) Marardashvili; Kakabadze, Kashia, Kverkvelia; Gagnidze, Dvali, Kvekveskiri, Kiteishvili, Lobjanidze; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Loria, Gugeshashvili, Gvelesiani, Zivzivadze, Davitashvili, Kvilitaia, Gocholeishvili, Lochoshvili, Azarov, Shengelia, Chakvetadze, Altunashvili.
Referee Istvan Vad (Hungary).
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the European Championship qualifier between Scotland and Georgia at Hampden Park. They couldn’t, could they? Well, yes, they could, we all know they could, but hopefully Scotland won’t follow rousing wins over Spain and Norway with an anti-climax/shambles at home to Georgia.
A win tonight would put Scotland – who are already five points clear in Group A – within touching distance of automatic qualification for Euro 2024. We shouldn’t underestimate the challenge of Georgia, though. They are second in the group (mainly because of Scotland’s win over Spain, it’s true) and have had a really good run since the former Bayern Munich right-back Willy Sagnol took over as manager during Covid.
Georgia’s last defeat was in October 2021, since when their record is W10 D3 L0. Most of those games have been against third-tier opposition, but they are still a handy side. Like Scotland they were promoted in the Nations League, from League C to B in Georgia’s case, and they have a genius in their team. Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is one of the most exciting, original players in the world.
Georgia aren’t a one-man side – they also have players at Valencia, Bordeaux, Metz and Cremonese – but he is the main threat to Scotland’s hopes.
Okay, fair enough, some would say the main threat to Scotland’s hopes is the last 50 years of Scottish football history, and the fatalism it has created. But apart from that it’s Kvaratskhelia.
Kick off 7.45pm BST.
🔢 A reminder of how Group A looks heading into our fourth qualifier tonight.#SCOGEO pic.twitter.com/I7kvW7PJpr
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 20, 2023
