Poland v Scotland: Nations League – live | Nations League

Half-time reading (Home Nations department)

Kaminski flashes a curling shot just wide from the edge of the area. Gordon had it covered but it was a fine effort, one of many in a pulsating first half. John McGinn gave Scotland an early lead after great work from Billy Gilmour and Ben Doak, then Gilmour and Scott McTominay hit the woodwork. Despite that it was Poland who had the clearest chances in a ceaselessly entertaining half.

As it stands, with Portugal 1-0 up in Split, Scotland are one goal away from finishing second in the group.

45 min: Great tackle by Souttar! This is a cracking game. Poland slice through Scotland in the centre of the pitch, not for the first time, with Zalewski playing a superb pass between the lines to Szymanski. He quickly moves the ball to his left for Swiderski, whose early shot is brilliantly blocked by the lunging Souttar.

42 min Scotland have been terrific in the last 10 minutes. Doak plays in the underlapping Ralston, whose low cross is desperately cut out by a Poland defender in the six-yard box. McGinn eventually collects and lays the ball to McTominay on the edge of the area, right of centre. He takes a touch and whistles an almost nonchalant drive across goal that thumps off the post.

In fact, replays show it was a fantastic save by Skorupskiwho dived low to his right to get a slight but decisive touch. Robertson’s follow up goes just wide as well.

41 min As things stand, Croatia are ahead of Scotland only on goals scored. Away goals no longer count in head-to-heads, which is why other tiebreakers need to be used. Croatia beat Scotland 2-1 in the first game, Scotland won 1-0 on Friday night.

While Scotland remain third in the group, it is truly, madly, deeply, undeniably, demonstrably, incontroveribly ON!!!

38 min Gordon makes another fine save, this time with his right foot, to keep out a low shot from Buksa. Scotland were suddenly exposed when Szymanski found space between the lines. He drew defenders towards him and teed up Buksa, whose shot was kicked behind by Gordon.

Goal given! Croatia 0-1 Portugal

37 min A replay of Gilmour’s shot suggests it took a slight deflection off a defender, which would explain the dramatic dip onto the crossbar.

VAR check: Croatia 0-1 Portugal There’s a never-ending VAR check going on in Split.

36 min Now it’s McTomigol’s turn to threaten. Doak curled a clever pass around Kiwior to find McTominay, who knocked the bouncing ball past Walukiewicz and pinged a low shot from 20 yards that was kicked away by Skorupski. Really good effort from McTominay, who had to take the short early with Piatkowski coming around.

In the words of the greatest football liveblogger on the planet, IT’S ON!!!!

33 min Almost a marvellous goal for Scotland. Gilmour received a short pass 30 yards from goal on the half turn – he’s always on the half turn – pushed the ball into space and belted a dipping drive that beat the flying Skorupski and hit the underside of the crossbar.

33 min: Good effort by Dykes! Doak scurries down the right and crosses early to Dykes, back to goal 15 yards out. He turns smartly and spanks a shot that brushes the side netting at the near post. The keeper had it covered I think.

30 min Kenny McLean is booked for a foul on Szymanski. Scotland now have six players who are a yellow card away from missing the next game, if there is one.

29 min No news is good news for Scotland, who have had something resembling a breather for the last couple of minutes.

27 min Szymanski curls a decent effort from 25 yards that drifts not far wide. Poland have been the better team, certainly in the last 15 minutes.

23 min: Excellent save by Gordon! Swiderski runs onto a long ball over the top, controls the ball in mid air and screws a shot that is really well blocked by the outrushing Gordon. That’s his best save so far.

22 min McGinn barrels forward on the break, past two players, and finds McTominay. He plays an angled pass to Doak, who half-beats his man with a stepover but then dribbles a shot into the arms of Skorupski. Another really promising run for Doak, even if the finish wasn’t great.

21 min It feels like a goal is coming. The underlapping Zielinski gets away on the left of the area and cuts the ball back towards Szymanski (I think). His mishit half-volley across goal is booted away by somebody on the six-yard line.

20 min This is a good spell for Poland, who are pinning Scotland back and winning plenty of set pieces in the final third.

18 min: Swiderski misses a great chance! A very risky crossfield pass from Robertson is intercepted and pushed first time towards Zwaderski on the edge of the area. He’s through on Gordon, no defender near him, but crashes a shot into the side netting at the near post.

The ‘at the near post’ is entirely redundant there, isn’t it. Not even Roy Race could crash an off-target shot into the side netting at the far post.

17 min That early goal was John McGinn’s 20th for his country, taking him past Ally McCoist. Only Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish, Hughie Gallacher and Lawrie Reilly have scored more.

15 min Still goalless between Croatia and Portugal in Split. The permutations are complicated, even by permutations’ standards, but as things stand Scotland are third in the group.

13 min Poland appeal for a penalty when a corner is flicked on at the near post and hits the hand of Gilmour. It was right in front of his face and, while you never quite know with handball in Uefa competitions, it looks like it’s been cleared by VAR.

11 min: Good save by Gordon! A better effort from Piatkowski, a rising drive from 25 yards, is tipped off to his left by Gordon.

10 min Kaminski cuts inside dangerously from the right but shoots straight at Gordon from the edge of the area. It’s end-to-end stuff, really exciting.

7 min Ben Doak, bloody hell! He absolutely roasts Zalewski on the left, gets to the byline in the area and slides a low cross that is kicked away. For a split-second it looked like Zalewski was going to bundle him over for a penalty.

It’s not just that Scotland may have found one that is so exciting; it’s that he’s a proper old-fashioned Scottish winger.

What a fine goal, made by two of Scotland’s brightest young things. Gilmour fired a brilliant pass between the lines to find Doak on the edge of the area. He got his head up and laid the ball back invitingly to McGinn, who dragged a precise first-time shot into the bottom corner with his right foot. Superb goal!

And it’s in there!

2 min Szymanski makes a really dangerous off-the-ball run, beyond the centre halves, and it needs Robertson to come across and make an important challenge. Actually, replays show Robertson was the reason Szymanski was onside in the first place so let’s not overdo the praise eh.

1 min Peep peep! The match is under way.

Mood music

Look, it’s dead simple: Scotland have to win. They just don’t know what the prize will be if they do.

Five of the Scotland XI are on a yellow cardwhich means another booking would rule them out ofthe first leg of a potential relegation playoff. They are: Anthony Ralston, Andy Robertson, Scott McTomigol, Grant Hanley and Billy Gilmour.

Five of the Scotland XI are on a yellow card, which means another booking would rule them out of the quarter-final if Sc– no, I can’t go there, this is getting silly.

Let’s try again.

Ben Doak’s performance on Friday night was missing only one thing.

Imagine if somebody did this now. My favourite bit is the matter-of-fact way the commentator Arthur Montford says, “Murray having a seat on the ball”, as if it was as commonplace as a throw-in.

Read Ewan Murray on Ben Doak

Doak has searing pace and a direct style that appeals to the paying punter. What you see is what you get. His working-class roots are a welcome antidote to the sense football has become overpriced or unappealing to that group in society. Supporters can relate to Doak’s personality and approach to the game. But he is also hugely effective; Josko Gvardiol looked terrified at times in Glasgow.

Steve Clarke makes two changes to the team that beat Croatia: John McGinn and Lyndon Dykes replace Ryan Christie and Tommy Conway.

Poland, who are without the injured Robert Lewandowski for this international break, make seven changes to the team that was hammered by Portugal on Friday. And if you think I’m going to list them all, you’ve got another thing coming. The survivors are the captain Piotr Zielinski, Jakub Kiwior, Nicola Zalewski and Kamil Piatkowski.

Poland (3-5-2) Skorupski; Piatkowski, Walukiewicz, Kiwior; Kaminski, S Szymanski, Moder, Zielinski, Zalewski; Buksa, Swiderski.
Substitutes: Bulka, Dragowski, Wieteska, Gurgul, Slisz, Urbanski, Bogusz, Puchacz, Kozubal, Kapustka, Marczuk, Piatek.

Scotland (4-2-3-1) Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gilmour, McLean; Doak, McTominay, McGinn; Dykes.
Substitutes: Slicker, Robby McCrorie, Shankland, Christie, Hendry, Barron, Taylor, McKenna, Armstrong, Conway, Gauld, Devlin.

Referee Christian Dingert (Germany)

The state of play in Group A1

1. Portugal 13pts

2. Croatia 7

3. Poland 4 (GD-6)

4. Scotland 4 (-2)

Scotland’s goal difference is superior, mainly because Poland were walloped 5-1 in Portugal, but the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record so they are in third place. It also means they can’t go above Croatia – but Scotland can if they win and Portugal beat Croatia by in Split.

Hang on, the quarter-finals of the Nations League: when did that happen? It’ll be a 32-team jamboree by 2031, mark our words.

So you’re saying there’s a chance? Scotland’s dramatic victory over Croatia on Friday kept alive their hopes of avoiding automatic relegation from Group A1 of the Nations League. All they have to do now is beat Poland in Warsaw. If they manage that, they could yet qualify for the quarter-finals – and go into Pot 1 for the World Cup qualifiers as well.

Scotland’s campaign started with an exasperating 3-2 defeat at home to Poland, with Nicola Zalenski scoring the winner from the penalty spot in the 97th minute. That goal looks even more significant; without it, Scotland would only need a draw tonight to finish third in the group.

No matter. Scotland are still alive and they have the thing their fanbase needs more than most: hope. Right now it comes in the peedie, speedy form of Ben Doak, the teenage winger whose sizzling performance against Croatia was like a modern reworking of Jinky Johnstone.

The kid’s only 19 so we shouldn’t get carried away. And we certainly shouldn’t point out that he has the same initials as the trophy Messi and Ronaldo monopolised from 2008–23.

Kick off 7.45 p.m.