Euro 2025 Qualifying Round One play-off first leg: Hungary v Scotland

Venue: Bozsik Arena, Budapest Date: Friday, 25 October Time: 17:15 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC Alba and iPlayer, listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra and follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport Scotland website & app

Reaching Euro 2025 is "a dream bigger than anything else" for Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa.

His side are four matches - two sets of two-legged play-offs - away from next summer's major tournament, and the Spaniard has his sights set on Switzerland, and a first finals as head coach.

The initial hurdle is in Hungary, where Martinez Losa took charge of the national team for the first time over three years ago, and he believes Scotland are "in a better position" than they were then.

He oversaw a 2-0 win in September 2021 in a World Cup qualifier and being in Budapest for their round one play-off first leg tie against the Hungarians on Friday brings back "good memories".

"It’s been three years of a lot of work, very positive things and we’re in a better position now to face the next challenge," Martinez Losa told BBC Scotland.

"We enjoy the pressure of competing for the big things, for the dream of qualifying for a major tournament and that dream is bigger than anything else."

It's a dream which is shared throughout the squad.

Many, including midfielder Erin Cuthbert, were part of the squads who made history in reaching the 2017 Euros and 2019 World Cup for the first time.

But now they're desperate to get back to that stage.

Under Martinez Losa, they suffered World Cup play-off heartache against Republic of Ireland and had to watch that, along with the 2022 Euros, from home.

That is something Cuthbert and the squad are adamant to not let happen again.

"I think it's good to have that [memory] in the bank, but we're not really thinking too much about how it went last time," the Chelsea midfielder said.

"Pedro’s instilled his style of play and I think we are a new and improved team.

"We've had a really good qualification campaign in League B so I think we’re coming into it with confidence and just being ready when the moment comes because we don’t want to let it pass us by."

Cuthbert admitted she's "not coming in to camp with the 100% shape" she'd want after a injury-hampered start to the season with WSL champions, Chelsea.

But that isn't stopping her from aiming high.

"Every time you're coming to play for Scotland, its doesn't matter how you're feeling you just find an extra edge," she added.

The return of Real Madrid star Caroline Weir is another "big boost of motivation" for Martinez Losa's side.

"It's about the consistency of our best players being available," the head coach added. "The increasing demands of the game sometimes makes it challenging."

In captain Rachel Corsie's absence, Weir - as a joint vice-captain with Claire Emslie - could lead Scotland out at the Bozsik Arena, but the head coach opted not to reveal who might wear the armband.

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa: "We are a team who are very aggressive in high pressing and we are becoming much better in the final third.

"It’s also about the team that we want to be in the future and we must be to qualify.

"We want to give our best version with our best players, there’s no time to focus on any else other than competing and that’s all what we’re all focussed on."

Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert: "We've really got to switch on to Hungary’s threats. They’re gonna make it really difficult for us.

"After watching some video, I was really impressed by the way they play; they’re really quick in transition. We know we can hurt them, but they can hurt us too.

"They've got some top players, but we've done our homework and we'll be ready."

With nine of the 16 spots for Euro 2025 already taken, there are two rounds of play-offs to decide the remaining seven places, which are being contested by 28 nations.

They consist of the League A nations that failed to qualify automatically, the League B countries who did not finish bottom of their group, the League C group winners, and the three best sides from League C that finished second in their group.

Scotland were in League B of the Nations League, meaning they now face fellow League B side, Hungary, in the first round of the play-offs.

The 14 losers in the first round of play-off qualifying will be eliminate, while the 14 winners will advance into the second play-off round.

The draw for the second round play-offs has already been made, and should Scotland get by Hungary, they will face either Finland or Montenegro in November and December.