Scottish Women's Football

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Captain Caroline Weir says Scotland are ready for the second leg of their Euro 2025 play-off in Finland.

After being held to a 0-0 draw at Easter Road, the Scots travel to Helsinki needing to win if they want to book their place in next year's tournament in Switzerland.

"We always want a little bit more but it's always strange playing two legs," Weir told BBC Scotland.

"It's the first leg, I think we'll take it. It's still all to play for. There are some things to learn from and go into Tuesday. I think overall we have to be positive.

"The support was great. We have time to reset, refocus and recover tomorrow. It's a quick turnaround, I think it's a challenge but one that we're ready for."

Scotland goalkeeper Eartha Cumings says the pressure is off Pedro Martinez Losa's side when they travel to Finland on Tuesday.

The Scots were held to a goalless draw at Easter Road in the first leg of their Euro 2025 play-off against Marko Saloranta's side.

Next week they travel to Helsinki for the second leg - the winner of which will book their place in next year's finals in Switzerland.

"It was a tough night but I think we feel pretty confident in ourselves defensively," Cumings told BBC Scotland.

"I didn’t feel massively pressured, I obviously wanted to keep a clean sheet but sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it.

"I think I can be a bit of a whinger at the back but I couldn’t do what they do.

"Tonight wasn’t a bad result, the tie is still in the balance. We’ve just got to go away from home and play our best, the pressure isn’t on us."

Scotland's Euro 2025 hopes remain in the balance after a tense goalless draw with Finland in their play-off first leg.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side, hoping to reach a first major tournament on the Spaniard's watch, were second best for much of the contest at Easter Road.

Linda Sallstrom's first-half lob brought out the best in Scotland goalkeeper Eartha Cumings, who also held shots either side of half-time.

The sides will resume at 0-0 on Tuesday in Helsinki, when Scotland women will hope to reach their second European Championship and first major finals since the 2019 World Cup.

And though Finland boast a strong home record, the Scots are unbeaten in nine and won there in a friendly last year.

Were you at Easter Road or following along from home? Have your say on Scotland's performance., external

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Sophie Howard was immense at the back for Scotland and directed her backline so well. If it wasn't for her, it may have not been such a favourable scoreline.

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa: "We did well with the dirty part of the game. That's a great credit to the team, not conceding a goal. We expect a little bit more on the ball but it's not as simple in this type of game.

"It's going to be a similar pattern for both teams in the next game. We are going to need just one opportunity to win the game in Finland."

Finland head coach Marko Saloranta: "We have to be satisfied with the result. Scotland is a very, very, very good team with unbelievable players. We were missing some important players.

"It will be so nice to play in Helsinki on Tuesday. We have been quite good at home. Everything is open and there's a big prize."

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Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa names an unchanged starting XI to the one that took the field in their last game, last month's 4-0 home win over Hungary.

Caroline Weir continues as captain in Rachel Corsie's absence.

Scotland: Cumings, Docherty, Howard, Kerr, Weir, Evans, Clark, Smith, Emslie, Thomas, Cuthbert.

Substitutes: Gibson, Fife, Mukandi, Clark, McGregor, Watson, Hanson, Hay, McLauchlan, Rodgers, Cornet, Napier.

Finland: Tamminen, Öling, Koivisto, Tynnilä, Siren, Kuikka, Lehtola, Sällström, Hartikainen, Summanen, Sevenius.

Substitutes: Koivunen, Korpela, Koivisto, Halttunen, Siren, Ahtinen, Alanen, Heroum, Kollanen, Franssi, Leskinen.

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Scotland forward Erin Cuthbert has been nominated for the Fifa Best Women's XI of 2024.

The Chelsea player scored nine goals in 39 appearances last season as the London club lifted their fifth consecutive WSL title.

And Cuthbert, 26, has helped Scotland to the play-off final for a place at Euro 2025.

Meanwhile, Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku has been nominated for the Fifa Best Women's Manager.

The 31-year-old guided Celtic to their first SWPL title and led the club to the group stage in their debut Champions League campaign.

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Martha Thomas insists the previous heartache against Finland "adds fuel to our fire" as Scotland attempt to seal a place at Euro 2025.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side host the Finns in the play-off final at Easter Road tonight - live on BBC BBC Scotland, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app - before the return leg on Tuesday.

Scotland missed out on Euro 2021 after a 1-0 defeat by Finland four years ago.

"It adds fuel to our fire, to try and help us get there and not relive these summers where we're sat at home and not competing at these tournaments," said Tottenham forward Thomas.

"Every one of us knows we need to completely empty the tank. It's all about doing your job on the pitch, we need to make sure everyone is giving absolutely everything to get over the line.

"You need a squad full of a range of different things, experience, youth, talent, everything, and I think we've really got that here."

Scotland head into the play-off with plenty of momentum after seven straight wins, including a 5-0 aggregate victory over Hungary in the previous round.

"It's given us a huge confidence boost," added Thomas. "Any team in the play-offs is difficult to play against, so to score five and have clean sheets in both games was big for us and we can use that momentum to go into these two games.

"There's been a massive improvement, we've found a way to win, a way to score goals and a way to limit conceding goals and our results show that."

The number of women and girls who are members of football clubs in Scotland has increased by more than 16,500 since the Scotland Women's team last qualified for the European finals. (The Herald), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland manager Pedro Martinez-Losa has been speaking to the media before Friday's Euro 2025 play-off first leg against Finland.

Here are the key points:

• Martinez-Losa says it's "impossible not to dream" of qualifying for the Euros. He adds that seeing the men reach Euro 2024 and the energy of the whole country inspires him to "try and replicate and maybe better" what they did. However, he knows he needs to also think "about one game at a time".

• The team is "in the best position" in terms of results and culture off the pitch, with the Spaniard adding they are "focused" and "prepared".

• He has no doubt this squad can compete in major finals. They are confident given recent results but Martinez-Losa believes they can go to another level.

• These matches are "not like any other game". Scotland have a calm environment within the camp, although he acknowledges things will get more intense as kick-off nears.

• Scotland have taken a lot from the Hungary games, not just the good moments. They need to be fully concentrated against Finland.

• The manager says his players don't need to be reminded about past play-off failures, but he doesn't want a "what if" situation.

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"Togetherness has been key" to Scotland's progress under Pedro Martinez Losa, says defender Nicola Docherty.

The national side are preparing for a two-legged play-off with Finland, with the prize for the winner a place at Euro 2025 in Switzerland.

The first leg takes place at Easter Road on Friday (19:35 GMT) - live on BBC Scotland, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app - before the Scots travel to Finland on Tuesday.

"We're going into games with confidence but know they'll be difficult," Rangers left-back Docherty told the BBC's Women's Football Weekly.

"We need to earn the right to be at a major tournament and we really want to try and get on that flight there.

"There's more excitement, I don't think there's that much pressure. Togetherness has been key to where we are. We now just want to take that next step."

Scotland will be without captain Rachel Corsie for both legs and Sam Kerr says the Aston Villa defender is a "massive miss to our team".

But Bayern Munich midfielder Kerr says the group have been boosted by the return of Real Madrid's Caroline Weir.

"Caroline is one of the top players and a top leader as well," Kerr said.

And on Friday's first leg, she added: "We're in Scotland for the first game and it's an opportunity to make a mark. We're going to really push for a good result."

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Scotland forward Kirsty Hanson says the current squad is the best she's ever played with as they prepare for a huge double header against Finland.

The Villa striker has stressed the Scots have the talent within their ranks to qualify for Euro 2025.

In order to do that, they need to beat Finland in a two-legged play-off the first match of which is at Easter Road on Friday night.

"The amount of goals we have scored and clean sheets we've had - that is in the past now," Hanson said.

"We need to focus on what’s coming.

"No matter what role you play the amount of talent we have in the squad and even those not in the squad it shows just how far we have come.

"We have a lot of young outstanding players and a lot of experience as well. You can tell whoever plays is going to do their job. It's an exciting team to be a part of at the moment.

"Everyone is from different leagues but even the Scottish league is getting better. You can see that from the number of players we have in the squad and how amazing they are doing.

"We all have different experiences and that's good to bring to the squad. Everyone has their own way of dealing with pressure and we are all in a really good place."

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Forward Claire Emslie insists Scotland are full of confidence as they prepare for a two-legged Euro 2025 play-off against Finland.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side have won their last seven consecutive international games and just two more victories stand between them and their first tournament since the 2019 World Cup.

"It feels different to any other play-off we've had before as a team," Emslie told the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

"The last couple of years we've really grown as a team and we see the experience in games, how people react to certain situations, there's almost like a calmness and a confidence that we know who we are, we know what we can do - it's just about executing now.

"The girls are brilliant, sometimes there's not a lot you can say it's just about getting on the pitch."

Scotland forward Claire Emslie, who plays for Los Angeles-based Angel City FC, reveals her jetlag struggles and how she had to be shaken awake by team-mate Caroline Weir and the team doctor after oversleeping on a previous trip.

Listen to the full interview on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Chloe Logan (Partick Thistle): Made some vital saves in the first half before Hibs' opener. But the Thistle keeper produced a huge stop in injury time to help Thistle to a good draw against an in-form Hibs side.

Emma Lawton (Celtic): Such a brave header for her goal in the win over Montrose. I'm not sure she was favourite to get there but sheer desire won through. Continues to play a key role for Celtic in getting forward and on another day could have had three assists.

Kimberley Smit (Glasgow City): Helped the league leaders to a clean sheet in the comfortable victory over Spartans. So composed and calm on the ball, and always looks to play out from the back.

Lizzie Waldie (Hearts): Solid at the back for Hearts as Aberdeen piled on some late pressure. Produced a terrific goalline clearance and was a real threat at set-pieces.

Lisa Forrest (Glasgow City): Played a significant part in another big win for City, with a goal and two assists. Good afternoon for a player who is developing all the time in a City shirt.

Katie Lockwood (Glasgow City): Her City career started off fairly slowly, but it looks like she's finding her feet. The midfielder's opener set the tone for a convincing win and she also set up a goal.

Cara Henderson (Partick Thistle): Such a key player for Thistle. Her stunning goal early in the second half earned Brian Graham's side a big away point.

Georgia Timms (Hearts): Back in the Hearts side, and was in the thick of much that was good about them. She was lively, and scored the second goal to make things more comfortable against Aberdeen.

Louisa Boyes (Motherwell): Her second hat-trick of the season, this one helped Motherwell to an impressive win over Queen's Park in the battle for sixth.

Jane Ross (Rangers): In the right place at the right time for her opening goal as she levelled things after Dundee United had taken a shock lead. The forward's second was a brilliant strike from 25 yards. Two goals in 11 minutes helped turn the game on his head.

Saoirse Noonan (Celtic): The Irish striker's goal not only broke the deadlock against Montrose, it also provided a much-needed spark for Celtic. A further two goals sealed Noonan's hat-trick and a comfortable win in the end.

Image source, Colin Poultney/SWPL

Motherwell manager Paul Brownlie: "In the first half I thought we were really good.

"I felt we could have managed the second half a bit better but it was still a good result with an impressive performance. In the main, I'm really happy with it."

Queen's Park manager Craig Joyce: "I'm really disappointed, we know what Motherwell can bring to the party and they brought it and then some.

"The players were nowhere near the level we expected from them. We never started the game well enough and didn't grow into it until the second half."

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Aberdeen manager Scott Booth: "We made a couple of costly mistakes in the first half, didn't quite get our press right and I think that gave Hearts a bit too much time to play which put us under a bit of pressure.

"In the second half I thought the team were excellent."

Hearts manager Eva Olid: "I wasn't pleased with the performance.

"We were not playing as we should be playing. We had free spaces, we had free players we couldn't see.

"They pressed very aggressively but we were playing through the pressure."

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Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: "We were too slow in possession and a bit too slow to react out of possession.

"I think the second half shows who we are as a team. If we can show up in the second half we know we can do it in the first half."

Montrose manager Craig Feroz: "We can take a lot from the first half, I think it's the best half we've had all season.

"You come here and it's going to be very difficult and in the second half we kind of faded away a wee bit with the tiredness."