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57 min: Bulgaria 1-2 Ireland. It’s been a bit of a non-event since the restart, which will suit Ireland just fine.
58 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. Karetsas continues to lead Scotland a merry dance. He draws a foul from McLean out on the right. Tsimikas sends a dangerous ball into the mixer. Scotland struggle to deal with it. Corner, from which Mavropanos heads wide right. The visitors clinging onto this lead by the fingertips.
54 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. The hosts sent on 17-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas at half-time. Formerly of the Belgian youth system, Karetsas switched allegiances to the home of his parents and looks the real deal. His first touch of his full international debut was a cross that went straight out of play; he’s quickly got up to speed, though, nearly planting a curler into the top-left corner.
Kimmich crosses and Kleindienst levels up, planting a fine downward header into the bottom left. Kleindienst, on at the break, didn’t take long to make his Deutsch mark.
51 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. A couple of corners for Greece. One from the right, then another from the left, which Tsimikas swings long. A deflection takes it wide right. … only for Mantalos to hook it back into the mixer for Tzolis to bash home from a couple of yards. Greece celebrate the goal, but come on and come off it, that ball was miles behind the byline. Indeed it was, after a check, and nothing comes of the resulting third corner.
A mere 39 seconds into the second half, the Dutch take the lead! Frimpong romps down the right, drifts into the box, then cuts back for Reijnders, who aims a precise drive across Simon and into the bottom left! Unstoppable! The hosts turn it around!
46 min: Bulgaria 1-2 Ireland. Bulgarian keeper Dimitar Mitov didn’t exactly cover himself in glory in the first half. Perhaps he was carrying an injury. Either that, or he’s been hooked, because on comes Plamen Iliev in his stead.
The second-half story. Begins here.
- Croatia 2-0 France
- Denmark 0-0 Portugal
- Italy 1-0 Germany
- Netherlands 1-1 Spain
The play-offs
- Greece 0-1 Scotland
- Bulgaria 1-2 Republic of Ireland
Croatia’s bid to get some payback for the 2018 World Cup final is going well. Ivan Perišić set up Ante Budimir’s opener midway through the first half, before notching one himself just before the break. Christian Eriksen meanwhile has missed a penalty for Denmark.
45 min: Netherlands 1-1 Spain. Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, born in Amsterdam but having spent most of his young life in Marbella, makes his international debut for Spain, replacing the injured Pau Cubarsí.
44 min: Italy 1-0 Germany. Some comic cuts as Burkardt competes for a low cross from the right, and manages to take out Donnarumma, Calafiori and Di Lorenzo all at once. No real harm done.
44 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. The Scots are racking up the chances. Now Adams comes in from the right and larrups a low drive across the keeper and inches wide of the left-hand post. Tzolakis wasn’t getting to that.
Ireland have turned it around! A simple ball floated in from the left by Cullen. Mitov comes to the edge of his box, but is soundly beaten in the jump by Doherty, who heads into an unguarded net! Doherty didn’t even have to get that far off the ground. Very questionable goalkeeping, like the Irish care about any of that.
Matt Doherty of Republic of Ireland celebrates with teammates Troy Parrott, right, and Mikey Johnston after scoring their side’s second goal. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty Images
43 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. Then another big chance as Adams, one on one with Tzolakis, slams his shot straight at the keeper.
42 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. Gilmour dribbles into the box from the right, then slices horribly wide. He claims a shove in the back by Tsimikas, but the referee’s having none of it.
39 min: Greece 0-1 Scotland. A reminder that Scotland haven’t won this game yet. Like anyone in dark blue is thinking that. Konstantelias crosses high from the right. Ionnidis bashes a header high and wide.
36 min: Netherlands 1-1 Spain. Depay creams a shot towards the bottom right. Simon does exceptionally well to readjust and block with his chest. Nobody in oranje on hand to slam home the rebound.
33 min: Bulgaria 1-1 Ireland. An equaliser has led to a change in momentum in Bulgaria, too. Ireland nearly complete the turnaround as Parrott fizzes a low cross in from the right, Collins (of all people) nearly meeting it in the middle with an extended leg. Had he not cut his toenails last night, Collins was poking Ireland into the lead there.
33 min: Netherlands 1-1 Spain. The hosts are suddenly well on top. Gakpo whistles a low cross through a crowded mixer. Then the same player tries to release Depay down the left and into the box, but the pass is a smidgen too strong.
There’s a VAR check over the award of the penalty, but Rota definitely kicked into McTominay’s standing leg. McTominay takes the resulting spot kick himself, and sweeps into the right-hand side of the net, sending Tzolakis the wrong way. It’s that man again!
Scotland’s Scott McTominay scores their first goal from the penalty spot. Photograph: Louiza Vradi/Reuters
31 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. PENALTY FOR SCOTLAND! McTominay strides into the Greek box down the inside-left channel. Upon entering the box, he’s clipped by Rota, and the referee points to the spot!
Cody Gakpo, after that aforementioned below-par week, is back, baby! He sweeps a first-time shot into the bottom left, meeting Kluivert’s perfectly weighted tee-up beautifully.
Netherlands’ forward #11 Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring the equalizing goal. Photograph: Maurice van Steen/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
27 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. … Robertson’s delivery causes all manner of mayhem in the Greek six-yard box. Some pinball. Then a chance falls to the prone McTominay, who swivels on his backside before hooking wide left of goal. It was easier for McTominay to hit the target, given the amount of seat-of-pants shoogling required to reposition himself, though the flag went up for some infringement or other anyway.
26 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. Robertson looks for McTominay with a low cross from the right. McTominay prepares to slam home but Tsimikas comes across to hack out for a corner. And from the set piece …
24 min: Bulgaria 1-1 Ireland. Kick for kick, that Azaz goal wasn’t exactly the same as this stone-cold classic. But it had the same gloriously queasy zig-zag rhythm.
A free kick for Ireland just to the right of the centre circle. Doherty sprays it wide left to Brady, who launches it diagonally towards Parrott at the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Mitov goes to collect but Parrott hooks the ball back across the face of goal, and Azaz can’t miss from six yards!
22 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. Another Scottish corner from the right. Robertson loops it straight down Tzolakis’s throat for the second time.
19 min: Netherlands 0-1 Spain. Cucurella crosses long from the left. Morata rises at the far stick and isn’t far away from guiding a header across the keeper and into the left-hand side of the net. Just wide.
18 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. Ferguson dribbles with menace down the right to win Scotland’s first corner of the evening. But the set piece is easily claimed by Tzolakis in the Greek goal. Scotland will be content enough with things so far.
16 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. The visitors look comfortable … one cross in from the right apart, but Ralston deals with it well, with attackers lurking at the back stick.
13 min: Bulgaria 1-0 Ireland. The Irish had started reasonably confidently, until Bulgaria scored with their first attack of the match. Now they’re looking nervous, and Despodov glides in from the left before aiming towards the top right. He doesn’t get enough whip on his shot and it’s a good claim by Kelleher.
So much for Germany’s decent start. Barella strokes a pass down the right to feed Politano, whose low cross is only half cleared. Racing in from the left, one of Newcastle’s hoodoo-busting heroes, Sandro Tonali, who hammers home. A fine few days’ work for Tonali all right.
Ronald Koeman looks on, wearing a face, as Hato is robbed in the left-back position. The ball’s worked right to left by Spain towards Williams, who spins elegantly six yards out and slots. Verbruggen no chance. Hato undressed.
Nico Williams of Spain celebrates the first goal. Photograph: BSR Agency/Getty Images
Krastev, his back to goal on the edge of the Irish D, backheels cutely to Petkov, who threads a forensic first-time shot across the flat-footed Kelleher and into the bottom right.
4 min: Italy 0-0 Germany. The Germans on top in these early stages. A corner in from the right. A free kick in from the left. The Italian defence does what Italian defences have done for so long. Easy enough.
3 min: Netherlands 0-0 Spain. The Dutch respond through Gakpo, who has looked awfully unfit in Liverpool’s recent defeats to PSG and Newcastle, but appears a bit sharper already tonight. In from the left he zips, and aims a curler towards the top right. Always wide, always high.
2 min: Netherlands 0-0 Spain. The first shot on target in Rotterdam comes courtesy of Pedri, who slaps it straight at Verbruggen. An easy claim.
2 min: Greece 0-0 Scotland. … but they get the ball back and win a free kick out on the right. It’s swung in and half cleared, but when McGinn attempts to whistle the ball through a crowded box, the whistle goes for too much Caledonian pushing and shoving. A confident-enough start by the Scots, though.
And we’re off! Scotland kick off in Greece, and lose the ball within the first six seconds. Onwards and upwards.
Piraeus, Rotterdam, Milan, Plovdiv … everybody’s talking about Pop Musik! … the teams are out! Across Europe, we’ll be off once the anthems are done.
Heimir Hallgrímsson makes seven changes to the Irish starting XI after the 5-0 thumping at Wembley. Six of them are enforced: Liam Scales and Jayson Molumby are suspended, while Sammie Szmodics, Callum O’Dowda, Mark McGuinness and Festy Ebosele are injured. Evan Ferguson drops to the bench. In come: Mikey Johnston, Robbie Brady, Troy Parrott, Matt Doherty, Ryan Manning, Finn Azaz and Jason Knight.
Steve Clarke talks to BBC Scotland: “Come into the stadium and you’re buzzing already … was tempted to go to a back five but decided to stick with the four … the four over the group stage worked well … we created a little bit more … more midfield players on the pitch … it is a very quick start on a Thursday … the only time I had all the players on the pitch was on Wednesday just before we flew to Greece so we didn’t have a lot of time to change the system … so we stuck with what we worked on for the previous six games.”
Steve Clarke sticks to four at the back … by the looks of it, given how the returning Kieran Tierney is on the bench. There are just two changes to the team that started the dramatic 2-1 win in Poland last November: Lewis Ferguson and Che Adams step up with Ben Doak and Lyndon Dykes missing out altogether.
Poland 1-2 Scotland: Nations League – as it happened
Greece: Tzolakis, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Siopis, Mantalos, Masouras, Konstantelias, Tzolis, Ioannidis.
Subs: Vlachodimos, Mandas, Vagiannidis, Retsos, Zafeiris, Pelkas, Fountas, Pavlidis, Mouzakitis, Hatzidiakos, Karetsas, Giannoulis.
Scotland: Gordon, Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, McGinn, McTominay, Ferguson, Adams.
Subs: Kelly, Slicker, Tierney, Conway, Wilson, Hendry, Porteous, McKenna, Nisbet, Hirst, Miller, Johnston.
Bulgaria: Mitov, Popov, Atanasov, Alex Petkov, Nurnberger, Despodov, Krastev, Gruev, Lukas Petkov, Andrian Kraev, Marin Petkov.
Subs: Sheytanov, Plamen Iliev, Antov, Kirilov, Nikolov, Bozhidar Kraev, Shopov, Nedyalkov, Simeon Petrov, Minkov, Panayotov, Ilian Iliev.
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher, Doherty, Collins, O’Shea, Manning, Knight, Cullen, Azaz, Johnston, Brady, Parrott.
Subs: Bazunu, Travers, O’Brien, Ferguson, Idah, Dunne, Sykes, Vata, Moran, Taylor, Armstrong, Abankwah.
Croatia: Livakovic, Stanisic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic, Baturina, Kramaric, Budimir.
Subs: Kotarski, Ivusic, Pongracic, Moro, Mario Pasalic, Vlasic, Fruk, Jakic, Sosa, Ivanovic, Petar Sucic, Juranovic.
France: Maignan, Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Digne, Guendouzi, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Muani, Mbappe.
Subs: Samba, Chevalier, Pavard, Upamecano, Camavinga, Doue, Olise, Kone, Zaire Emery, Barcola, Clauss, Hernandez.
Denmark: Schmeichel, Kristensen, Vestergaard, Andersen, Isaksen, Hjulmand, Eriksen, Norgaard, Maehle, Biereth, Lindstrom.
Subs: Hermansen, Jorgensen, Nelsson, Frendrup, Dorgu, Hojlund, Hogsberg, Skov Olsen, Wind, Harder, Froholdt.
Portugal: Costa, Dalot, Dias, Veiga, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Fernandes, Joao Neves, Pedro Neto, Ronaldo, Leao.
Subs: Jose Sa, Rui Silva, Nelson Semedo, Antonio Silva, Joao Palhinha, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix, Inacio, Quenda, Ruben Neves, Trincao, Jota.
Italy: Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Politano, Barella, Rovella, Tonali, Udogie, Kean, Raspadori.
Subs: Meret, Vicario, Buongiorno, Ricci, Maldini, Lucca, Frattesi, Ruggeri, Zaccagni, Casadei, Gatti, Bellanova.
Germany: Baumann, Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum, Gross, Goretzka, Sane, Musiala, Amiri, Burkardt.
Subs: Ortega, Nubel, Andrich, Stiller, Leweling, Undav, Adeyemi, Kleindienst, Mittelstadt, Schlotterbeck, Bisseck, Koch.
Netherlands: Verbruggen, Geertruida, van Hecke, van Dijk, Hato, de Jong, Reijnders, Frimpong, Kluivert, Gakpo, Depay.
Subs: Olij, Flekken, Simons, Koopmeiners, Brobbey, de Ligt, Taylor, Lang, Malen, Wieffer, Baas.
Spain: Simon, Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsi, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Zubimendi, Fabian, Yamal, Morata, Williams.
Subs: Raya, Remiro, Grimaldo, Merino, Perez, Olmo, Aghehowa, Mingueza, Huijsen, Garcia, Baena, Oyarzabal.
Welcome to this Nations League edition of our ever-lovable Clockwatch feature. There are two huge quarter-final showdowns …
- Italy v Germany
- Netherlands v Spain
… plus the start of Scotland’s attempt to complete their Homeric League A survival bid …
… so we’ll be keeping close tabs on all of those. But that’s not all, because the other quarters are pretty tasty too …
- Croatia v France
- Denmark v Portugal
… and Ireland are seeking to lock down League B football next time round …
- Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland
… so there’s plenty to be getting on with tonight. All the matches, featuring repeats of the 1982, 2010 and 2018 World Cup finals, kick off at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!
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