With respective 3-0 victories in their Euro 2024 qualifying opener, Scotland and Spain face each other at Hampden Park for an early top-of-the-table clash.
SCO vs ESP Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 28 March 2023 / Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Time: 19:45 (BST) / 00:15 (IST)
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow
SCO vs ESP Match Preview
Scotland started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign off to a flyer with a 3-0 victory over Cyprus. John McGinn scored his 16th international goal to give his side the lead from a deflected Andrew Robertson cross before Scott Mctominay came up with a late brace to take the match away from the visitors. Scotland made it four wins on the spin on home turf with that victory and have lost only once since the previous Euros in such fixtures. The hosts have scored 10 goals while conceding just one in that period and their Euro qualifying games winning streak also stands at six. That record will be put to test now as they welcome a new-look Spanish side with the chance to end the first international break of the year on top of the table. It has been 17 years since Scotland last opened a major tournament qualifying campaign with successive wins so a lot of history will be riding in the fixture on Tuesday.
While Steve Clarke’s men got over the challenge of Cyprus in a comfortable fashion, Spain only managed to seal the deal in only the last 10 minutes of the game against Norway. Substitute Joselu made a remarkable story for himself on his debut by scoring twice in space of just a minute for the 3-0 victory after Dani Olmo gave La Roja the lead in the first half. Kepa Arrizabalaga made a brilliant save off Fredrik Aursnes’s volley on the half-hour mark while Nacho Fernandez misjudged clearance had to be cleared off the line. Alexander Sorloth also horrendously missed a golden opportunity to equalize before the late goals went for Spain. But De la Fuente will not take any issue with that as it was only the team’s first game under him and the result will only build confidence in clearing the other deficits. They will now look to extend their unbeaten run against Scotland in the last five meetings to also maintain their 20 games unbeaten streak in the Euro qualifying.
Recent Form
SCO: WLDWW
ESP: WDLDW
SCO vs ESP Team News
Scotland lost Che Adams through injury after he limped off the pitch in the win against Cyprus. The striker has since returned to Southampton with Heart of Midlothian’s Lawrence Shankland called in for his replacement. Right-back Anthony Ralston has also pulled out through injury. In Adams’s absence, Lyndon Dykes of Queens Park Rangers will lead the line after setting up Scott Mctominay's first of the two goals in the first match as a substitute. The midfielder also came off the bench to bag the brace and will make his place in the starting lineup for this big clash.
Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente has a fully fit squad available to him after no injury problems were picked up in the victory over Norway. A few changes are likely considering the impact of the substitutions in the last match. Joselu struck twice on his national team debut at the age of 32 to secure the win for Spain but it will not be enough to displace Alvaro Morata, the new captain for the side. However, Fabian Ruiz will get the nod in the midfield picking up the assist for the Espanyol striker’s first international goal. The PSG player will replace Iago Aspas who earned his first cap after 2019.
SCO vs ESP Predicted Lineups
SCO: Angus Gunn; Grant Hanley, Ryan Porteous, Kieran Tierney; Aaron Hickey, Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay, Andrew Robertson; John McGinn, Ryan Christie; Lyndon Dykes.
ESP: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, Aymeric Laporte, Alex Balde; Mikel Merino, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Dani Olmo, Alvaro Morata, Gavi.
SCO vs ESP Head to head
SCO won - 3
Draw - 4
ESP Won - 6
SCO vs ESP Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Kepa (7.5)
DEF: Tierney (8.5), Laporte (8.5), Balde (8.5)
MID: Olmo (9), McGinn (8.5), McTominay (8), Gavi (8), Robertson (9)
FW: Christie (7.5), Morata (9)
Captain: John McGinn
Vice-captain: Dani Olmo
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