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Half-time entertainment. “Doesn’t get any more squeaky bum than the World Cup qualifier between Cyprus and Scotland in February 1989,” begins Tony Hughes. “A great Scotland line up playing really badly and somehow getting the win. Richard Gough wins the game, after being down 2-1 well into the second half, in the sixth minute of Fergie time.” Yep, that was a great campaign, Andy Roxbrugh’s side qualifying for Italia 90 ahead of a France team containing Jean-Pierre Papin, Didier Deschamps and Eric Cantona. Different times all right.
HALF TIME: Scotland 1-0 Cyprus
Scotland deservedly lead at the break. Damn that kit looks good.
45 min +1: VAR correctly decides Gogic got the ball and not his man, then Kousoulos clears the corner.
45 min: Adams very nearly releases Hickey into the box with a clever flick down the right channel. Not quite. Scotland are playing some good stuff, though, and they come again down the left, Adams denied a shot on goal by Gogic’s last-ditch slide. Corner, though VAR are going to check for a possible penalty.
43 min: Scotland come again, though, and McGinn barges his way into the box down the right and cuts back for Adams, whose first-time rising drive is tipped over by Demetriou. Great save, and nothing comes of the corner.
41 min: Tierney plays a ball down the inside-left channel for Adams. The referee – no kidding – turns it around the corner for Armstrong, and inexplicably waves play on! Fortunately for the ref, his accidental flick comes to nought for Scotland, who are soon forced to turn tail.
40 min: Kastanos has the opportunity to release Pittas down the inside-right channel, but clanks his pass straight to Hanley, who intercepts and clears. For a second there, Scotland were exposed for the first time this afternoon.
39 min: Scotland have enjoyed 66 percent of possession so far. Cyprus bump up their stats a bit by passing it around the back for a minute or so.
37 min: Scotland cause more bother down the left, with Armstrong, Tierney and Robertson relentless. A corner. Robertson’s delivery isn’t all that, and the visitors clear.
36 min: The ball’s flicked into the Cyprus box from the left. McGinn nearly gets on the end of it, but clanks into Demetriou and the whistle is Cyprus’s friend.
34 min: A long ball sent down the Cyprus inside-left channel nearly embarrasses Gunn, who comes to the edge of his box to collect only to slip just before he reaches it. But when you’re luck’s in, it’s in. As he falls, he straddles the ball, which clanks back off his boot and nestles in his special place. Somehow everything’s still in the penalty box, and he’s able to gather. That could have been very embarrassing.
32 min: Kastanos performs the dying swan in the vague environs of McGregor, and goes into the referee’s notebook for his brazen cheek.
31 min: Cyprus press, but Scotland stroke it around the back with confidence and play their way out of trouble. Hickey, Hanley and Porteous all assured.
29 min: Robertson and Tierney combine down the left, where Scotland are finding plenty of joy. Another deflected cross, but this one doesn’t quite fall for either McGinn or Adams. Cyprus clear their lines.
27 min: The ball bounces loosely in the midfield. Artymatas decides to meet it with an almighty whack, and isn’t too far away from embarrassing Gunn, who was on walkabout. The ambitious effort sails harmlessly wide right, but for a split second, Scottish hearts were in mouths.
26 min: That’s McGinn’s 16th goal for Scotland. Not a bad return for his 53 appearances, huh.
25 min: That’s got the home crowd going again. The atmosphere had fallen a little bit flat as a result of Scotland’s patient approach. And there’s another roar as Adams plays Tierney into space down the left, but the cross doesn’t find a dark-blue retro shirt in the box.
23 min: No bother! The goal stands, and Hampden roars! Roberge was playing Robertson on in the middle.
22 min: … but they’re checking for offside. Did Robertson go too early? VAR is on the case.
GOAL! Scotland 1-0 Cyprus (McGinn 21)
Armstrong slips a ball down the left channel for Robertson, who crosses. A deflection loops it towards McGinn at the far stick. He can’t miss. He opens his body and sidefoots into the bottom right. Easy as that!
20 min: Kyriakou’s fresh-air kick affords Armstrong the opportunity to make good down the left and cross. Unfortunately the ball in goes nowhere near Adams. No matter, though, because …
19 min: Adams and McGinn combine cutely down the right and very nearly send Hickey clear. Cyprus slam the door shut just in time.
17 min: Kastanos is fine to continue, and he’s soon whistling a range-finder straight at Gunn, who is thankful for his first meaningful touch as a Scotland international. He handles well.
15 min: That was a strange one, though. Armstrong caught his man, and by stopping the Cypriot charge, was always going to be yellow carded. But he got the ball as well. Scotland claim the booking is harsh; Cyprus want a red. VAR has a second look and shows absolutely no interest in upgrading the punishment.
14 min: Robertson swings it in, but Cyprus break quickly upfield. Armstrong slides in on Kastanos and the counter is nixed at source. Armstrong goes into the book as a result.
13 min: Hickey garrinchas his way into the box from the right. He sends Laifis off to the shops with a drop of the shoulder, then arrows a surprise shot towards the bottom right from a tight angle. Demetriou is forced to turn around his post. Corner.
12 min: Scotland are playing a patient game and Hampden has simmered down as a result. It doesn’t help that Porteous lumps an aimless ball upfield, nowhere near any of his team-mates. It sails apologetically through to Demetriou.
10 min: This is a little sharper, though. Armstrong reaches the byline out on the left and cuts back for McGinn who attempts, from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, a cute flipper towards the bottom right. He doesn’t quite get enough on it and it sails across the face of goal. Not sure Demetriou was getting to that had it been on target.
9 min: It’s all Scotland in terms of possession. All a bit sterile, though.
7 min: Scotland clearly fancy this left flank. Tierney tries to release Armstrong with a speculative pass down the channel, but again it’s too long. Demetriou comes to the edge of his box to gather.
6 min: Robertson pings long down the left for Adams, who lays back for Armstrong. Robertson had kept going, and Armstrong tries to find him on the overlap, but his pass is way too strong. Goal kick. Had that been weighted properly, Robertson was screaming into space.
5 min: Porteous sticks his elbow into Ioannou’s lug and it’s a free kick out for Cyprus out on the left. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Scotland box. Kastanos hoicks it into the mixer. Hanley heads clear and the danger is over.
3 min: Demetriou flaps at the corner. Tierney tries to return the ball into the mixer from the right, but his cross is blocked. A bright start for the hosts, though.
2 min: Armstrong hugs the left touchline and makes off at speed. Antoniou is forced to make a fine last-ditch tackle as he threatens to break clear. Then McGinn gets involved to win the first corner of the afternoon.
1 min: Scotland are also wearing white shorts and red socks. All is right with the world.
Scotland get the ball rolling. Hampden roars.
The teams are out! Scotland are in dark blue, Cyprus in second-choice white. The hosts wear their glorious new retro shirt that celebrates 150 years of the SFA. It is an absolute belter. As is Flower of Scotland, which gets a passionate pre-match bellow. We’ll be off in a minute!
Steve Clarke, whose first match as Scotland boss was against Cyprus at Hampden four years ago, talks to Viaplay Sports. “A new campaign, and hopefully the players can continue doing what they’ve done … hopefully Angus Gunn has a very good debut for Scotland … I’ve got options on the pitch, I can change in-game formation if we have to, and I have fantastic options off the bench, which shows how far we’ve improved as a national squad … we hope to pick up enough points to qualify directly for Germany 2024 … we have the backup of the playoffs, but we don’t want to go through the knockout stage, we want to do it through the groups, and that starts today.”
Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor wins his 50th cap for Scotland, while in goal Norwich City’s Angus Gunn makes his debut. St Mirren midfielder Alex Gogic starts for the visitors.
The teams
Scotland: Gunn, Hickey, Porteous, Hanley, Tierney, Robertson, Armstrong, Jack, McGregor, McGinn, Adams.
Subs: Kelly, Clark, Patterson, McTominay, Dykes, Christie, Hyam, Gilmour, Cooper, Ferguson, Brown, McLean.
Cyprus: Dimitriou, Antoniou, Kousoulos, Gogic, Roberge, N Ioannou, Kyriakou, Laifis, Artymatas, Kastanos, Pittas.
Subs: Panayi, Spoljaric, Karo, Antoniades, Charalampous, Efrem, M Ioannou, Christofi, Kakoulli, Spoljaric, Loizou, Tzioni.
Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia).
Preamble
Scotland start their Euro 2024 qualification campaign against a team they only squeaked past in their last one. Kick off is at 2pm GMT. It’s on!
English (US)