Greece v Scotland: Line-ups, stats and preview

Preview for Greece v Scotland

It’s crunch time for Scotland as they embark on a crucial few days that will determine their World Cup fate.

Steve Clarke’s side head to Athens tomorrow night to face Greece before returning home for a game against Denmark on Tuesday night.

Scotland go into the doubleheader second in Group C, behind the Danes on goal difference. Assuming Denmark beat pool whipping boys Belarus tomorrow, the Scots require at least a point against Greece to set up a winer-takes-all clash at Hampden with Brian Riemer’s side next week.

If they do qualify, they would sit at world football’s top table for the first time since 1998.

But they will need to raise their performance levels significantly from their two displays in October. Shaky in beating Greece 3-1, they were downright awful in finding a way past Belarus, 2-1.

“We need to improve from the last camp,” said defender Scott McKenna. “Obviously the points were there, but the performances on the pitch weren’t of the level expected and the level we’ve been used to over the last few years.

“After that last game the manager was pretty strong in his words and made it clear to everyone that that performance was well below the levels expected, and if we want to have any chance then we need to up our performance.”

Clarke knows this is a golden chance for his team to back up their qualification for the 2024 European Championship with an appearance on the global stage, and is eager to talk up the positives.

He said: “If anybody had said going into the last month, the final two games, that one of our biggest rivals [Greece] would already be out of the equation for the play-offs or automatic qualification, I think everybody would have taken that. 

“So, we need to be disappointed in the performance against Belarus but we also need to keep a sense of perspective that we’re in a really good position and can we capitalise on that in the two games coming.”

Greece are third in the pool and cannot qualify. Head coach Ivan Jovanovic is reportedly on borrowed time with Thiago Motta linked with the job.

Team News for Greece v Scotland

Clarke has several selection posers to contend with.

First-choice goalkeeper Angus Gunn is injured, so one of Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly or Scot Bain will start.

In addition, Aaron Hickey, Ben Gannon-Doak and Che Adams are a booking away from a one-game suspension and at risk of missing the Denmark game.

Billy Gilmour and Lennon Miller are injured.

Konstantinos Mavropanos and Fotis Ioannidis are unfit and won’t be available for Greece. Australia-born former Hibernian midfielder Nectarios Triantis has received his first call-up but will likely start on the bench.

Predicted line-ups for Greece v Scotland

Greece: Vlachodimos; Rota, Restos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Zafeiris, Kourbelis; Karetsas, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis

Scotland: Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Gannon-Doak, Adams, Christie

How to watch Greece v Scotland: TV and online streams

Greece versus Scotland kicks off at 1945 UK time tomorrow night. It can be watched on BBC Scotland and BBC Two from 1915.

It is also available on BBC iPlayer.

Stats for Greece v Scotland

• Scotland have not lost any of their last five competitive games away from home
• Greece will be looking to avoid losing four consecutive World Cup qualifiers for the first time since 1973.

Prediction for Greece v Scotland