Scotland and Ukraine are finally set to lock horns as the last UEFA representative at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have yet to be decided.
Both nations have been made to wait in their quest to reach the winter tournament this year after the unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia earlier this year, and the clash at Hampden Park in Glasgow has major implications for both parties involved.
What's at stake
Moreover, Scotland has never advanced past the group stage in any of the eight World Cup appearances they have managed across their national history despite players the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, and Graeme Souness. To reach the final this time around would be another achievement worth noting, but Scotland still has a long way to go if they are to reach the level of England or even Wales.
But for a nation that has only reached the World Cup on one occasion (2006), there is so much more riding on the line than a nation's pride tomorrow.
Form guide & How they got here
Scotland
Despite being in the World Cup playoff bracket, Scotland gave a very good account of themselves during qualifying irrespective of the fact that they finished runner-up in Group F behind potential dark horse Denmark, while the Scots posted a very credible 7-2-1 record across group play.
Group F was tricky, however, and Scotland opened play with successive draws against Austria (2-2) and Israel (1-1), and only managed a single win in their opening four outings after thrashing the Faroe Islands 4-0 before losing to group winners Denmark 2-0. But from there on out, Scotland was a side in form as they won six matches on the spin to guarantee the runner-up spot, while recent draws against Poland and Austria again show they have been committed to their approach.
Ukraine
For a side that only mustered two wins during their qualifying campaign, there are many that may feel that Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko and the rest of his compatriots are underdogs.
That said, however, Ukraine managed to go undefeated in their qualifying program including a pair of 1-1 draws against superpower France but hardly ran the table against smaller sides the likes of Finland, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Despite their credible team game and solid defensive numbers, Ukraine continues to struggle for goals that don't come from a player named Andriy Yarmolenko but are still a threat to Scotland in all areas of the pitch.
