Scotland Men's Football Team

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Stuttgart

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Chats on the train to Stuttgart was akin to a casting call for a slot on Only Connect.

The mind-bending conundrums on the BBC game show require a certain type of brain power. If only the Tartan Army would enter a team, they'd be a shoo-in.

It seems pretty straightforward - touch wood - that a win against Hungary will be enough for Scotland to qualify somehow. It even makes me nervous typing that.

But there may well be a scenario where two points get Steve Clarke's side through.

It would be the first time it's ever been done in a Euros.

Are we being pessimistic? Are we being realistic? Or are we just wasting time because we know Scotland may win and it doesn't matter?

You decide...

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Scotland assistant John Carver admits he had a "lump in his throat" when he listened to the Tartan Army belt out Flower of Scotland before the 1-1 draw wth Switzerland.

Videos of Scotland's national anthem went viral online after a particularly passionate rendition from the travelling fans and Carver - from Newcastle - says he was touched by it.

"When you listen to O Flower of Scotland - I'm getting emotional here now - I've been involved in some big games, but when that tune came on, it was the loudest I've ever heard," Carver said.

"It brought a lump to my throat. If that can't inspire these guys... We might get beat because the opposition are better than us, but it won't be for want of trying, that's for sure."

The assistant says Scotland could change shape to adapt to the loss of Kieran Tierney, whose tournament has been ended by the hamstring injury he suffered against the Swiss.

Under Steve Clarke, the Scots have traditionally played with five at the back to accommodate Tierney and captain Andy Robertson.

"Steve has always talked about being flexible," added Carver. "For a long spell we went with the three and then we changed it before we played Ukraine.

"We are flexible, we've played two different systems already. I'm not going to give a great deal away to the opposition. It is a possibility."

Scotland superfan and Travis bassist Dougie Payne says the Tartan Army adopting the band's song 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' is music to his ears.

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Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland en route to Stuttgart

Image source, Scott Mullen

This trip is hurtling past at what feels like the same speed as the train that is carrying us to Stuttgart.

We're now on day nine in Germany. Cologne train station was bursting with Tartan Army moving on to leg three, with the train so busy some were urged to decant at Frankfurt to get on another.

The support the national team has received so far has been overwhelming. At the foot of the Kolner Dom for the past four days, it's been a sea of navy blue.

I'm also enjoying the renaissance of a few retro tops which have become a staple of the TA wardrbbe in recent years.

We hear a viewing area is being set up in Stuttgart for 25,000 Scots to watch the game on Sunday. On the basis of the last few days, they'll need another couple of those.

Two more sleeps.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland assistant John Carver has been speaking to the media before the final Group A match against Hungary on Sunday.

Here are the key points...

• Carver confirmed Kieran Tierney's tournament is over as he was "heading home" to have his injured assessed by Arsenal. if Scotland do progress, he will only be back in Germany to "support" them.

• Changing shape is "a possibility" and Carver insists that under Steve Clarke, Scotland have been "flexible".

• He would have "snapped your hand off" to have a chance of progressing to the last 16 in the final game.

• Highlighted the strength of Hungary and touched on their form - one loss in 15 games - before the tournament started.

• Insisted the players would not be "flat" like they were against Croatia - the final game of Euro 2020 for Scotland - and says the camp have taken measures to ensure that.

• Carver got emotional when reflecting on how 'Flower of Scotland' was sung before kick-off against Switzerland - "the loudest I've ever heard".

With Liverpool superstar Dominik Szoboszlai pulling the strings, it may come as a surprise that Hungary's midfield is their "most vulnerable area".

Hungarian-born football journalist Bence Bocsak has been giving the lowdown on Marco Rossi's side on the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"The game will be won in midfield," he said. "Hungary's midfield is probably their most vulnerable area. Scotland do have some very talented midfielders and I think that's where Scotland have the edge over Hungary.

"Strangely, I think the game will be won by the team that has less of the ball because if we're looking at both teams, they're both sort of very reactionary teams, good in transitions."

Bocsak also picked out one particular Hungary player to watch out for - and it' not Szoboszlai. Instead, it's Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles.

"There's someone who's not played in this tournament that I'm expecting to come in - Callum Styles," added Bocsak.

"He qualifies through his grandmother and he's a very important player for Hungary.

"When he's started for Hungary, they've been unbeaten in 14 games. He's suffered a small injury at the start of the tournament that ruled him out for the first two games.

"It's expected he'll come back for this one. He's a midfielder and he'll be the one who Hungary hope can meet the physical challenges that Scotland impose."

BBC Scotland football pundits Leanne Crichton, Steven Thompson and some Scotland fans take on the headers challenge during Euro 2024 in Germany.

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Scotland proved they can "bounce back from adversity" in Wednesday's well-earned Euro 2024 draw with Switzerland, says defender Jack Hendry.

Steve Clarke's side went into their second group game having come off the back of a 5-1 mauling by hosts Germany in the tournament opener.

But a hard-fought point in Cologne against the Swiss sends the Scots into Sunday's encounter with Hungary knowing a win would likely send them through to the knockouts of a major finals the first time.

"Hopefully we can continue this momentum now," Al-Ettifaq centre-back Hendry said. "It felt like we did ourselves justice last night. It shows how much we can bounce back from adversity.

"It was a very emotional evening. The fans were incredible. From the national anthem to the lap of honour at the end, they really pushed us on.

"We would've taken [this position]. We are more than determined to make history."

Hendry is wary of "top nation" Hungary, who are at the Euros "on merit".

Clarke confirmed he will be without Kieran Tierney for that must-win game after the Arsenal defender was stretchered off on Wednesday.

And while Hendry says his team-mate "will be a miss" in Stuttgart, he feels Scott McKenna's cameo highlights the squad's strength.

"There are ready-made replacements there if Kieran can't make the game," he said.

"One of our strengths is our squad. Scott [McKenna] came in and did extremely well."

Jack Hendry made his Scotland debut in a 1-0 win over Hungary and hopes to help his national team repeat the result at Euro 2024.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Reuters/PA Media

The big negative in a fairly positive evening for Scotland was the injury to Kieran Tierney in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

After being rolled by striker Dan Ndoye, the Arsenal defender, who spent last season loan at Real Sociedad, was stretchered off after suffering what looked like a serious muscle issue.

Despite the 27-year-old, who has been plagued by injury across the past year, then being able to walk down the tunnel, head coach Steve Clarke said "it looks pretty bad" and confirmed he would miss the must-win game with Hungary on Sunday.

A nation like Scotland losing a player of Tierney's calibre is always likely to have a significant impact, but his influence in Clarke's side is striking when you dissect their results with and without him.

Since Clarke's appointment in 2019, Tierney has played 35 games for his country, with 16 victories coming from those caps - a win percentage of 46%.

In the 22 games he has not featured in, that win rate drops to 41%.

Nine losses have come in the 35 caps he has earned under Clarke. The same number of defeats have come in the 22 matches he has missed.

Scotland also ship more goals when Tierney isn't in the team - a concession rate of 1.1 per game with him in the side jumps up to 1.7 without him.

Remarkably, in the 35 fixtures Tierney has played under Clarke, the defence have conceded just two more goals than the 37 they have lost in the 22 matches he has been absent for.

Scott McKenna replaced the former Celtic defender in Cologne on Wednesday and performed well during his half-hour cameo.

A similar impact will be required on Sunday if he is the man to fill the void left by an integral part of the Scotland side.

Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor says the team head into Sunday's all-or-nothing Euro 2024 game against Hungary with renewed belief after the battling 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Germany

Image source, Reuters

The build-up to the big game on Sunday is very much on.

For either Scotland or Hungary to have any hope of a place in the knockout stages, a win is essential.

So much so that Hungary head coach Marco Rossi wants his side to leave everything on the pitch in Stuttgart.

"Scotland is a team which has a lot of physical qualities that in some situations could make us suffer," Rossi said.

"I think what is important to do in the last match is putting on the pitch what our fans are always asking of us. They can accept technical mistakes. They are not stupid.

"They know what kind of level we have, especially compared to these kinds of opponents. But they want to see that, on the pitch - and sorry for these words - that we're spitting our blood.

"This is what I ask of the guys. I don't ask them to win. I don't ask them to score goals. I just ask them to put their maximum effort in. Of course, to be able to do this you must be well organised in a tactical aspect.

"Against Scotland we're expecting another kind of match and we will prepare the right tactics for that. But the most important thing is your maximum effort."

How about that for a rallying cry? Should be an absolute cracker on Sunday.

Midfielder Kenny McLean, who was a second-half substitute in the draw with Switzerland, insists there's more improvement to come from Scotland in Sunday's "huge" meeting with Hungary where qualification is on the line.

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Angus Gunn says Scotland showed what they are "all about" in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Switzerland.

The result keeps Scotland's hopes of progression alive, and the Norwich City keeper was pleased to bounce back from a disappointing performance in the tournament opener against Germany.

"Everything in the game from the start was 10 times better from the game on Friday night [the 5-1 loss to Germany] - our intensity, pressing the ball, our aggression, winning the ball high up," Gunn said.

"That really set us off at the start of the game. The lads managed to keep it going for 90 minutes.

"Getting the goal in the first half was good. I thought it was a pretty even second half and probably could've gone either way. We'll take it to the last game in the end.

"Personally, I was hurting after the game on Friday night, didn't feel like I had done myself justice. A lot of the boys in the dressing room felt like that as well.

"That was the motivation for - to come out, show what we're all about and I think everyone to a man did that today."

Midfielder Billy Gilmour, who impressed on his return to the team, added: "We gave everything out there.

"We knew we had to bounce back after the last performance and it puts us in a good place.

"We're a good team. We know our strengths. Tonight was more like a Scotland performance. Getting after the ball, passionate - everything was there."

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Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin

A lot of pride back. After the Germany game a lot of people would’ve watched that, who hadn’t watched Scotland before and thought, they’re out of their league.

I don’t think that’s the case because Scotland have shown time and again that they're capable of doing better.

I walk away from that game and I’m happy. Minor disappointment that we didn’t get the win but actually did we deserve the win? No, I’m not that biased.

Former Scotland forward James McFadden

A much better performance, straight from the off, you could see the intent to go and press and try and put Switzerland under as much pressure as they could and crucially we got the first goal and gave ourselves a real belief.

It’s so unlike Scotland to perform the way they did against Germany.

So I think they did pretty well, we are being greedy by saying we would’ve loved to have won the game but the most important part was being in it and still having a chance to qualify and that’s what they’ve given themselves.

Ex-Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam

There were a lot of good moments and a lot of things we need to improve on defensively. I know people make mistakes but small details, if you want to play at the top level of football, you get punished for mistakes and that’s what happened.

Overall from a performance and our reaction was very, very good. It gives us an opportunity on Sunday against a very good Hungarian team. Ranked 26th in the world, they are not to be messed with.

Scotland women's captain Rachel Corsie

It's a good place to be, it's where you want to be.

I think the performance, emotionally and mentally, will count for a lot. We have a real solid group of players, and a structured system.

We'll give it a real go against Hungary and the fans will get right behind them.

Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor and captain Andy Robertson have praised "big character" Anthony Ralston’s "unbelievable" response to being at fault for Switzerland’s equaliser.

Right-back Ralston’s slack backpass was pounced upon by Xherdan Shaqiri to lash a fabulous strike into the top corner shortly after Scott McTominay’s first-half opener in the pulsating 1-1 draw.

Celtic skipper McGregor, who provided the assist for McTominay’s goal, said of his 25-year-old clubmate Ralston: "Big, big character and still a young player as well.

"He hasn’t played a huge amount of football either and to get thrown into that top-level football, he deals with it really well.

"He’s such an honest boy. Listen, that can happen to anybody. People make mistakes, people give the ball away. Sometimes it’s a night when you get punished and sometimes you don’t get punished.

"That’s one that did get punished but to come back and show that level of performance and calmness for a young player speaks volumes for him."

Ralston also received backing from Robertson, who said: "Tony was unbelievable after that mistake.

"Not many people could come back from that. It was a difficult one for him but second half he was a different class."

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