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[monks data]
Scotland national football team
Nations League | League B
Sep 21, 2022 at 7.45pm UK
Hampden Park
Ukraine national football team

Scotland
3 - 0
Ukraine

McGinn (70'), Dykes (80', 87')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Stepanenko (18'), Bondar (45+1'), Yaremchuk (71'), Sydorchuk (83'), Malinovskyi (90+2')

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

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

Less than four months after battling it out in the World Cup playoffs, Scotland and Ukraine reconvene in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday.

They both ultimately missed out on a place at Qatar 2022, but occupy the top two spots in League B Group 1 with a game in hand on the other two nations.


Match preview

Scott McKenna and Anthony Ralston celebrate scoring for Scotland against Armenia on June 8, 2022.© Reuters

Having fallen at the penultimate hurdle of qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998 - being beaten 3-1 by Ukraine at Hampden Park amid emotional scenes - Scotland started their Nations League campaign in the summer with six points from their first three fixtures.

After beating Armenia home and away, Steve Clarke's side sit second in League B Group 1, one point behind their Ukrainian counterparts and two ahead of the Republic of Ireland, despite losing their second game 3-0 in Dublin.

Scotland now play Ukraine twice either side of the return match against Ireland, so the events of the coming week will shape their Nations League destiny; deciding whether they can qualify for the competition's top tier for the first time.

Since ending 2021 with six wins in succession, the Tartan Army have won only two of their subsequent six outings - both against minnows Armenia - but there have been green shoots of recovery for a success-starved nation in recent times.

With both Glasgow giants back in the big time, as they participate in this year's Champions League group stage, and the national squad having taken part at Euro 2020, Clarke's men will be keen to build momentum again and get the autumn action off to a winning start.

Ukraine forward Artem Doybyk celebrates scoring against Scotland in their World Cup playoff on June 1, 2022.© Reuters

Standing in Scotland's way on Wednesday - and then next Tuesday, in their temporary home of Krakow - will be a Ukraine squad that has endured much adversity over the past few months, and also narrowly missed out on a place in Qatar by losing to Wales in the playoff final.

No competitive football has been played in the war-torn nation since December, when the Ukrayinska Premier Liha paused for its midwinter break, as fixtures were due to resume in late February until the Russian invasion occurred.

Despite the dangers, a new league season started in Kyiv last month, with all league games being played in the capital and further west, and Ukraine's top clubs are back in European competition too - albeit with new-look squads; shorn of foreign stars.

Since their heartbreaking defeat at Cardiff City Stadium, Oleksandr Petrakov's team have begun their Nations League campaign unbeaten, and after seeing off Ireland and Armenia in their opening two games, they most recently squared off against Stephen Kenny's side in Lodz.

Letting their 100% record slip, Ukraine were held to a 1-1 draw after Artem Dovbyk equalised a Nathan Collins opener, but they still sit top of League B Group 1 with seven points.

Previously relegated from League A amid controversial circumstances - their decisive fixture with Switzerland was called off due to a COVID-19 outbreak and UEFA then forced them to forfeit the points - Ukraine will not be lacking in motivation this week, for any number of reasons.

Scotland Nations League form:
  • W
  • L
  • W

Scotland form (all competitions):
  • D
  • D
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W

Ukraine Nations League form:
  • W
  • W
  • D

Ukraine form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • D


Team News

Andy Robertson pictured at Euro 2020 on June 18, 2021© Reuters

While Scotland captain Andy Robertson will be missing through injury for each of their three games this month, the timely return of Arsenal's Kieran Tierney at least compensates, and the former Celtic full-back should start.

Meanwhile, Jacob Brown, Grant Hanley and Jon McLaughlin have all withdrawn from the squad, with Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie called up as the latter's replacement.

Hibernian centre-back Ryan Porteous has received his first call-up, as both John Souttar and Liam Cooper are sidelined, while midfield pair Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean are back in contention following long-term injuries. Despite a lack of playing time this term, Billy Gilmour, Jack Hendry and Anthony Ralston could all feature too.

While Robertson sits out for Scotland, a similarly influential left-footer will be absent for Ukraine, as Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko recently sustained a calf injury in training and may not return to action until next month.

Dynamo Kyiv's Mykola Shaparenko suffered an ACL rupture in his club's Europa League clash with Fenerbahce earlier this month, so joins Zinchenko on the sidelines.

Shakhtar Donetsk starlet Mykhaylo Mudryk and captain Andriy Yarmolenko are both among a familiar-looking squad, though, and both should start in support of either Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk up front.

Scotland possible starting lineup:
Gordon; McTominay, Hendry, Tierney; Patterson, McGinn, McGregor, Taylor; Fraser, Adams, Christie

Ukraine possible starting lineup:
Lunin; Karavayev, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko; Kovalenko, Sydorchuk, Malinovskyi; Yarmolenko, Yaremchuk, Mudryk


SM words green background

We say: Scotland 1-2 Ukraine

Having benefitted from the return of some relative 'normality', Ukraine's home-based players will now be match-fit and ready to impose their style of play on a Scotland side that has stumbled a little over the past year.

Keeping themselves on-track for a return to the Nations League's top tier, the visitors can score twice and take maximum points home from Hampden.

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


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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Game History

How you voted: Scotland vs Ukraine

Scotland
30.5%
Draw
17.2%
Ukraine
52.3%
522
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Scott McKenna and Anthony Ralston celebrate scoring for Scotland against Armenia on June 8, 2022.
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League A1

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal642014
Q Croatia Croatia62228
3 Scotland flag Scotland62137
4 Poland Poland61144

League A2

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Q France France641113
Q Italy Italy641113
3 Belgium Belgium61144
4 Israel Israel61144

League A3

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Q Germany Germany642014
Q Netherlands Netherlands62319
3 Hungary Hungary61326
4 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina60242

League A4

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Q Spain Spain651016
Q Denmark Denmark62228
3 Serbia Serbia61326
4 Switzerland Switzerland60242

League B1

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Q Czech Republic Czech Republic632111
2 Ukraine Ukraine62228
3 Georgia Georgia62137
4 Albania national flag Albania62137

League B2

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Q England flag England650115
2 Greece Greece650115
3 Ireland Rep. Ireland62046
4 Finland Finland60060

League B3

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Q Norway Norway641113
2 Austria Austria632111
3 Slovenia Slovenia62228
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan60151

League B4

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Q Wales flag Wales633012
2 Turkey Turkey632111
3 Iceland Iceland62137
4 Montenegro Montenegro61053

League C1

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Q Sweden Sweden651016
2 Slovakia Slovakia641113
3 Estonia Estonia61144
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan60151

League C2

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Q Romania Romania550015
2 Kosovo flag Kosovo540112
3 Cyprus Cyprus62046
4 Lithuania Lithuania60060

League C3

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Q Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland632111
2 Bulgaria Bulgaria62319
3 Belarus Belarus61417
4 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg60333

League C4

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Q Macedonia N. Macedonia651016
2 Armenia Armenia62137
3 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands61326
4 Latvia Latvia61144

League D1

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Q San Marino flag San Marino42117
2 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar41306
3 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein40222

League D2

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Q Republic of Moldova Moldova43019
2 Malta flag Malta42117
3 Andorra flag Andorra40131


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