Scotland face Poland at Hampden Park in the opening match of their Nations League campaign on Thursday night, looking to put a summer of disappointment behind them.
Steve Clarke’s side finished bottom of their group at Euro 2024 with just one point, but despite calls for a sacking or a resignation, Clarke leads the team once more in a Nations League group that also contains international heavyweights Portugal and Croatia.
Scotland will face the Selecao on Sunday, but first comes a test against the ‘easiest’ opposition in the group. Clarke has called up several uncapped players, including Liverpool loanee Ben Doak and Ryan Gauld, whose only other call-up came in September 2014.
And Poland will be looking to bounce back from a similarly disappointing Euros campaign of their own, where they finished bottom of an admittedly more difficult group in Germany.
Follow all the latest build-up, updates and reaction from the Nations League below:
Scotland v Poland LIVE
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Scotland face Poland in the first match since Euro 2024 campaign, live on ITV 4
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Steve Clarke faced calls to be sacked but he leads Scotland once again is they begin their Nations League campaign
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Poland had a disappointing summer in Germany too, also finishing bottom of their group with just one point
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Scotland XI: Gunn, Ralston, Hanley, McKenna, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, McGinn, McTominay, Christie, Dykes
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Poland XI: Bulka, Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior, Frankowski, Urbanski, Zielinski, S. Szymanski, Zalewski, K. Piatek, Lewandowski
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NO GOAL! McTominay’s goal chalked off for handball (SCO 0-1 POL)
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GOAL! McTominay nets awkward equaliser for Scotland (SCO 1-1 POL)
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GOAL! Szymanski’s effort from range beats Gunn (SCO 0-1 POL)
Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:18 , Mike Jones
28 mins: The disallowed goal will be annoying for Scotland but it will also give them hope that they can get at Poland. Ryan Christie and Andy Robertson combined to work the ball down the left wing before Kenny McLean feeds it back to Christie.
He checks to the right and pings off a shot but the ball is always tracking wide of the far post.
NO GOAL! Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:14 , Mike Jones
25 mins: Gutting for Scotland.
VAR took a look at the goal and saw that the ball bounced up and hit McTominay on the hand before dropping for his shot at goal. It’s accidental and frustrating but the rules mean the goal has to be ruled out.
GOAL! Scotland 1-1 Poland (Scott McTominay, 23’)
20:13 , Mike Jones
23 mins: There goes the roof!
Scotland win themselves a free kick over on the right side of the pitch. Andy Robertson swings the ball into the far side of the penalty area where Scott McTominay arrives.
He messes up his attempted header but manages to awkwardly scuff a shot into the back of the net. Scotland have their equaliser!
Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:09 , Mike Jones
21 mins: John McGinn switches the play with a fine cross field pass over to Ryan Christie. Christie nods the ball over to Andy Robertson but the captain is put under pressure.
As he challenges for the aerial ball he gives away another free kick. Poland take this one short but Scotland turn the ball over. Billy Gilmour finds McGinn who slots a pass into the box for Scott McTominay.
McTominay finds a slight bit of space and manages to get a shot off but only lifts it high and wide.
Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:07 , Mike Jones
18 mins: The noise levels inside Hampden Park are rising with every foul that Scotland give away. The referee has been decent so far but the home fans are trying to encourage their team on.
An equaliser would take the roof off.
Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:05 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Andy Robertson already looks more determined to drive Scotland forward. He gives it to Scott McTominay who works his way down the inside right channel.
He passes a one-two with Ryan Christie before losing possession on the edge of the box. The ball rolls back to Robertson who swings in a cross.
Lyndon Dykes is the target and the forward almost gets a head to the ball but gives away a free kick in the process.
Scotland 0-1 Poland
20:01 , Mike Jones
12 mins: Not at all the start that Scotland would have wanted but it’s early in the game and they can recover from this. The hosts had been playing okay and didn’t look overwhelmed by the occasion.
They need to switch back on and reset.
GOAL! Scotland 0-1 Poland (Sebastian Szymanski, 8’)
20:00 , Mike Jones
8 mins: Poland take the lead early on!
Kacper Urbanski nicks the ball high up the pitch and slots it across to Robert Lewandowski. The big forward continues the move and passes it to Sebastian Szymanski.
Scotland drop back so he decides to shoot from range and lets fly from 20 yards. The effort is good and beats Angus Gunn to his left before clipping the inside of the post and finishing in the back of the net!
Scotland 0-0 Poland
19:53 , Mike Jones
6 mins: Anthony Ralston hurries Nicola Zalewski in the middle of the pitch and gives away a foul to Poland. They take it quickly but can’t play through the Scots and are forced to send it back to goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.
Decent start for Scotland.
Scotland 0-0 Poland
19:52 , Mike Jones
3 mins: Scotland are going through something of a reset following their Euro 2024 campaign though Steve Clarke has backed the most of the same players for tonight’s match.
If they can start the Nations League campaign well they’ll only grow in confidence.
Kick off! Scotland 0-0 Poland
19:50 , Mike Jones
Kenny McLean gets the ball rolling at Hampden Park and Scotland win a throw in over on the right wing. Poland defend well early on and clean their lines but the host recover the ball and look to sweep forward immediately.
Scotland v Poland
19:43 , Mike Jones
Here come the players.
Andy Robertson looks determined as he leads out the home side. They’re playing in the Nations League top flight for the first time. Can they get their campaign off to a winning start?
Scotland v Poland
19:40 , Mike Jones
Scotland have won 10 of their 16 Nations League games (drawn two, lost four), with their 62.5% win ratio the best of any nation in the competition.
Scotland v Poland
19:35 , Mike Jones
Robert Lewandowski has been involved in eight goals in his last nine starts for Poland (5 goals, 3 assists) and netted twice in his last appearance against Scotland in October 2015 at Hampden.
Scotland v Poland
19:30 , Mike Jones
Andy Robertson could win his 75th cap, becoming just the seventh player to achieve that alongside Kenny Dalglish, Alex McLeish, Jim Leighton, Paul McStay, Darren Fletcher and Craig Gordon.
Steve Clarke on evolving the Scotland squad:
19:25 , Mike Jones
“[It is] evolution, not revolution. This time we have a significant number of injuries, I’ve had to dip down to the under-21s squad, they also have important fixtures coming up but that brings freshness.
“Respect to the core group, but within that core group you have to add a little bit more and hopefully that makes us better. It won’t happen overnight. This is a chance to evolve the group so that we’re in shape for the World Cup qualifiers.”
Scotland v Poland
19:20 , Mike Jones
Poland have only won four of their 16 Nations League matches (drawn four, lost eight), with both wins against Bosnia (2020) and two over Wales (2022).
Having won 15 out of 18 competitive games between September 2021 and September 2023 (drawn one, lost two), Scotland are now winless in six (drawn three, lost three).
They last endured a longer run between October 2011 and March 2013 (seven).
Scotland v Poland
19:15 , Mike Jones
Scotland have only won one of their last 12 matches (drawn four, lost seven) – a 2-0 friendly victory over Gibraltar who were ranked 203 in the world.
They have lost six of their last seven against teams ranked above them.
Scotland v Poland
19:10 , Mike Jones
Five of the last six meetings between these teams have ended as draws, including the most recent game in March 2022, a 1-1 draw in a friendly.
Scotland have never beaten Poland in a competitive game in four attempts (three draws, one defeat), despite going ahead in each of the last three.
Andy Robertson tasks Scotland with raising Tartan Army’s spirits after Euro 2024
19:05 , Mike Jones
Andy Robertson wants to rekindle the Tartan Army’s love for Scotland in the upcoming Nations League campaign.
There was huge excitement among the Scottish support ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany where tens of thousands turned up in expectation, but it all fell flat when Steve Clarke’s men could only muster one point from three group games before returning home.
Ahead of the Nations League Group A game against Poland at Hampden Park on Thursday, the Scotland skipper acknowledged the disappointment and is looking to make up with the fans.
Andy Robertson tasks Scotland with raising Tartan Army’s spirits after Euro 2024
Scotland can continue to improve
19:00 , Mike Jones
Andy Robertson says fresh faces like Ryan Gauld and Ben Doak can help Scotland find a way to compete against elite nations more regularly.
“We know that’s what we need to improve – that’s the next step for us,” Robertson said, “That’s us been to two tournaments now and only got two draws. We’ve not progressed the way we would have liked.
“We need to look at that. And in the build up when we played the stronger nations like England and France we didn’t show how good we can be.
“But also not that far in the past we beat the European champions here at Hampden, we also beat a really good Denmark team. We competed against Spain away as well.
“We need to get more consistent at doing it. We’ve done it previously but not all the time. That’s what we need to get better at, especially at tournaments.”
Andy Robertson on Euro 2024
18:55 , Mike Jones
“The summer was a low for all of us,” said the Scotland captain when asked about Euro 2024, “But we have to move on from it. We have to be positive, otherwise it’s pointless being here. We have to believe.
“Okay, we might have some doubters again within our country. Our country was right behind us in the summer.
“We get they’re disappointed and now it’s up to us to drag them along with us again. It’s up to us to show on the pitch we’re willing to fight, win games, and put in the hard yards.
“If we do that, we know our fans will come with us as well.”
Poland are a stern test says Clarke
18:50 , Mike Jones
Steve Clarke is expecting a testing encounter against Poland this evening. The Scotland boss wrote in the matchday programme:
“We know that Poland will provide a stern test. They too will be disappointed with their summer and will want to use tonight to prove a point. It is up to us not to let them do so by getting our Nations League campaign off to a winning start.”
Poland team news
18:45 , Mike Jones
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has recovered from the injury problem that limited his appearances for Poland in Germany.
Wojciech Szczesny has retired so Lukasz Skorupski is new Polish first-choice goalkeeper. The visitors are without centre-back Bartosz Salamon and midfielder Taras Romanczuk through injury.
Centre-half Mateusz Wieteska and midfielder Mateusz Kowalczyk have also been ruled out, while Los Angeles midfielder Mateusz Bogusz is not being considered because of jet lag following his late arrival at the team camp.
Pogon Szczecin winger Kamil Grosicki has also called time on his international career but it is hoped that Przemysław Frankowski will recover from a minor muscle injury.
Scotland v Poland line-ups
18:39 , Mike Jones
Scotland XI: Gunn, Ralston, Hanley, McKenna, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, McGinn, McTominay, Christie, Dykes
Subs: McCracken, Clark, Shankland, Doig, Barron, Porteous, Souttar, Doak, Morgan, Conway, Gauld, Johnston
Poland XI: Bulka, Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior, Frankowski, Urbanski, Zielinski, S. Szymanski, Zalewski, K. Piatek, Lewandowski
Subs: Skorupski, Dragowski, Piatkowski, Walukiewicz, Piotrowski, Moder, Swiderski, Kaminski, Puchacz, Buksa, Slisz, Bereszynski
The return of the Nations League: Groups, favourites and what’s new in 2024/25 as Spain defend crown
18:35 , Mike Jones
An expanded Uefa Nations League is upon us as the first international break of the Premier League season ramps up.
The fourth edition of this competition adds an extra knockout round and maintains the jeopardy of promotion and relegation in its mini leagues – a fate England know too well after dropping to League B following a poor string of results in 2022.
Designed to eliminate meaningless international friendlies in favour of pitting similarly ranked nations against each other in a competitive environment, the Nations League has proven a springboard to success for previous winners Portugal, France and Spain.
The return of the Nations League: Groups, favourites and what’s new in 2024/25
Scotland’s Nations League squad
18:30 , Mike Jones
Striker Che Adams withdrew from the Scotland squad on Tuesday and was replaced by Rangers midfielder Connor Barron for his first call up.
Celtic pair James Forrest and Greg Taylor joined Adams in pulling out of Steve Clarke’s group, along with goalkeeper Robby McCrorie.
Goalkeepers: Zander Clark (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Norwich City), Jon McCracken (Dundee)
Defenders: Josh Doig (Sassuolo), Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Max Johnston (Sturm Graz), Scott McKenna (Las Palmas), Ryan Porteous (Watford) Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers)
Midfielders: Connor Barron (Rangers), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Ben Doak (Middlesbrough), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich City), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls)
Forwards: Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough), Lyndon Dykes (Birmingham City), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts)
Poland’s head coach on playing at Hampden
18:25 , Mike Jones
Poland head coach Michal Probierz spoke about his excitement at taking charge of his team at Hampden Park tonight. He said: “I’ve seen some games on the television at Hampden and there’s always a very warm atmosphere.
“I’m sure the atmosphere will be similar to in Wales. It might be another hot game and we need to be prepared and ready for that.”
Pre-match thoughts from Steve Clarke
18:20 , Mike Jones
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke: “We knew coming out of the other side of the tournament [Euro 2024] there would need to be a little bit of freshness in the squad.
“I didn’t envisage so many injury issues, so many call-offs but that’s given us a freshness that’s maybe more than it would’ve been had I had everybody fit and available, but it’s still a nice freshness.
“For the young boys that have come into the squad, they’ve brought that enthusiasm, that breath of fresh air that galvanises and gives the senior players that little bit more life. It’s been a good couple of days, but we want to make it better.”
International break dates
18:15 , Mike Jones
Here’s a look at the schedule for this international break and which teams play each other in the Nations League:
Thursday, 5 September
Scotland vs Poland (19:45)
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg (19:45)
Friday, 6 September
Wales vs Turkey (19:45)
Saturday, 7 September
Republic of Ireland vs England (17:00)
Sunday, 8 September
Bulgaria vs Northern Ireland (17:00)
Portugal vs Scotland (19:45)
Monday, 9 September
Montenegro vs Wales (19:45)
Tuesday, 10 September
England vs Finland (19:45)
How does the Nations League work?
18:10 , Mike Jones
The competition is split into four levels, from A down to D, with four groups in A, B and C and two groups in D.
Scotland are in Group A1, so the top level, while England (B2) and Wales (B4) are in the second tier and Northern Ireland (C3) the third.
The top two teams from each group in League A go into two-legged quarter-finals in March, with the winners going into the final-four tournament in June. The winner of that mini-tournament is Nations League victor.
The winners of each group in Leagues B, C and D are promoted to a higher division. The teams who finish bottom of each group in Leagues A and B are relegated.
Teams who finished third in their groups in League A will face League B runners-ups – and League B’s third-placed teams will face League C runners-up – in two-legged promotion/relegation play-offs in March.
There will also be play-offs between the two best fourth-placed teams in League C and the two runners-up in League D.
Connor Barron and Jon McCracken called up to Scotland squad for first time
18:05 , Mike Jones
Rangers midfielder Connor Barron and Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken have been called up to the Scotland squad for the first time for the Nations League double-header against Poland and Portugal.
In an update from the Scottish Football Association on Tuesday, it was revealed that Barron and Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig have both been promoted from the under-21 squad following a spate of withdrawals.
Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie, Torino striker Che Adams and Celtic pair James Forrest and Greg Taylor have all left the squad.
Connor Barron and Jon McCracken called up to Scotland squad for first time
Scotland’s early team news
18:00 , Mike Jones
The absence of long-term injured players such as Kieran Tierney, Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey was compounded when Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie, Torino striker Che Adams and Celtic pair James Forrest and Greg Taylor all left the original squad for the Group A game against the Poles and the trip to Portugal on Sunday.
Vancouver Whitecaps’ Ryan Gauld had been called into the squad after a 10-year absence along with fellow uncapped duo, Sturm Graz full-back Max Johnston and attacker Ben Doakes, who is on loan at Middlesbrough from Liverpool.
They were joined by Rangers midfielder Connor Barron, Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken and Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig, making it six potential debutants.
How can I watch it?
17:55 , Mike Jones
It was a late confirmation that was only announced on Wednesday, but the match will be shown live in the UK on ITV4 and ITVX.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is Scotland vs Poland?
17:50 , Mike Jones
Scotland take on Poland in the Nations League A Group 1 game at Hampden Park on Thursday 5 September and the match will kick off at 7.45 pm BST.
Scotland vs Poland LIVE
17:45 , Mike Jones
Scotland host Poland in the Nations League A Group 1 opening match tonight as they bid to put their Euro 2024 exit behind them.
At the most recent international tournament, Scotland secured just one point from three matches as they exited Euro 2024.
Should Scotland finish in the top two of their group they would qualify for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, fourth would confirm a relegation to League B and third would ensure a play-off match.
Although the Nations League is its own event, it also has an impact on qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which Scotland would be aiming to compete in for the first time since 1998.
Good evening!
15:59 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Nations League action as Scotland play host to Poland at Hampden Park.
Steve Clarke’s men are back on the international stage after their shocking Euro 2024 campaign and will hope for a more positive time of things this evening.
Scotland’s Nations League group also includes international heavyweights Portugal and Croatia so a victory against an underpar Poland will leave them in a strong position.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and more throughout the night so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
