In one of the most bizarre nights in their qualifying history, Scotland fell to a 3-2 defeat against Greece but emerged with their destiny for automatic World Cup qualification firmly in their own hands.
For 63 minutes, it looked like a total disaster for Steve Clarke’s side. A wretched performance saw them go 3-0 down. Goals from Tasos Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas, and Christos Tzolis did the damage. Meanwhile, in the group’s other game, Denmark were cruising against Belarus. As a result, the dreaded play-offs seemed almost certain for Scotland.
Then, the entire night turned around. News filtered through from Copenhagen. Incredibly, 100th-ranked Belarus had stunned Denmark with an equaliser. This news sparked a furious, late comeback from the Scots. First, Ben Doak scored his first senior goal. Then, Ryan Christie quickly headed in a second. Greece’s captain, Bakasetas, was also sent off, but Scotland could not find the final equalising goal.
In the end, it did not matter. Belarus held on for a historic 2-2 draw in Copenhagen. That result ultimately “bailed out” the Scots. Crucially, it means a victory for Scotland in their final match will now secure their spot at the World Cup.
Here is how the players rated in a chaotic night in Athens:
Scotland Player Ratings vs Greece
Goalkeeper & Defence
Craig Gordon – 7/10 More than justified his selection despite his lack of club football. He was the only reason Scotland weren’t 3-0 down at the half, making a string of excellent saves. He’ll be annoyed that he was beaten by the sheer power of Tzolis’s strike.
Aaron Hickey – 5/10 A torrid evening for the Brentford man. He was given a terrible time by the electric Tzolis, who capped his night with the third goal. He tried to support the attack but was often pinned back and looked short of full match fitness.
John Souttar – 5/10 Looked unsteady from the start. He was completely outmuscled by the Greek forward in the build-up to the opener and seemed to lose his bearings. A late yellow card for an elbow summed up a frustrating night.
Final push. Come on Scotland.#GRESCO pic.twitter.com/S3hrdG4i6R
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 15, 2025
Grant Hanley – 4/10 A performance to forget. An early, clumsy barge on the keeper showed his frustration. He was caught square for the second goal and never looked comfortable against the hosts’ runners.
Andy Robertson – 6/10 The captain will be furious with his own positioning for the opening goal. However, his influence grew as the game descended into chaos, and he drove his team forward, grabbing a good assist for Christie’s goal on his 90th cap.
Midfield & Attack
Lewis Ferguson – 5/10 Tasked with anchoring the midfield, he struggled to get a foothold in the first hour and picked up a booking. To his credit, he showed real fight as the game became ragged and drew the red-card foul from Bakasetas.
John McGinn – 6/10 For an hour, this was another frustrating and anonymous display from the national talisman. He finally grew into the game in the final 30 minutes, driving at the defence and looking to spark a revival.
🗣️ “Rest, recover and put absolutely everything into Tuesday.”
Hear @jmcginn7‘s message to the fans post-match in Greece.#GRESCO pic.twitter.com/0wTMM6Y7xl
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 16, 2025
Ryan Christie – 7/10 One of Scotland’s few bright sparks all night. He was always trying to make something happen and showed great anticipation for his goal, timing his run perfectly to meet Robertson’s cross.
Scott McTominay – 5/10 Far from his talismanic best. He was a ghost for most of the first half but exploded into life with a fierce strike that cannoned off the woodwork—a moment that seemed to wake the entire team up.
Ben Doak – 6/10 A mixed bag for the Liverpool youngster. He was indecisive in the final third and spurned a huge one-on-one chance. However, he showed great poacher’s instinct to sweep home his first senior goal and spark the unlikely comeback.
Che Adams – 6/10 He worked tirelessly on scraps for an hour. His clever flick was what created McTominay’s big chance, and he was unlucky to see two goal-bound efforts blocked in the second-half scramble.
Substitutes
Scott McKenna (for Hanley, 75’) – 4/10 Brought on to add some defensive calm as the game entered its chaotic final phase.
Anthony Ralston (for Hickey, 75’) – 4/10 Replaced the struggling Hickey and helped shore up the right side.
Lyndon Dykes (for Christie, 82’) – 3/10 Thrown on as a physical presence on the left but had little impact.
Lawrence Shankland (for Adams, 82’) – N/A A welcome return to the setup, winning his first cap in nearly a year, but had no time to influence the game.
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