Scotland free kick in a promising position.

Scott McTominay was striding away, before being bodied by former Manchester United pal Paddy McNair.

Image source, SNS

Nick McPheat
BBC Scotland at Hampden

You're lucky if Scotland have two players in their own half when they're on the ball.

Northern Ireland are deeper than the Clyde at the minute, but the threat from the counter is there.

Scotland need to show they're capable of breaking down low blocks.

Neil McCann
Former Scotland winger on BBC Scotland

You can see the respect Northern Ireland are giving Scotland by how deep they're sitting off.

First real sight of goal comes the way of Ryan Christie.

He gets his shot away just outside the box, but it's a fair bit wide of Bailey Peacock-Farrell's goal.

Caragh Hamilton
Northern Ireland international on BBC Two NI

Scotland are hurting, they will be like a wounded animal coming out here tonight and they know this is a very expectant crowd.

There may be a little bit of unease around the fans at the minute because there hasn't been a win in a long time after having such a successful start to their qualifying campaign, so the pressure is definitely on them.

Nick McPheat
BBC Scotland at Hampden

God Save the King, not so quietly observed by the Tartan Army...

The travelling fans did their best to return the favour.

Made for quite a spicy atmosphere, that.

And we're off, courtesy of John McGinn.

God Save the King booed at Hampden, as it was when England pitched up at Hampden last year.

Flower of Scotland, as ever, belted out emotionally.

Image source, SNS

The teams make their way out.

Anthems coming right up...

Caragh Hamilton
Northern Ireland international on BBC Two NI

I'm expecting a full-blooded affair with both teams going at it.

It feels like a free hit for Northern Ireland, you don't get too many friendly windows now and don't get that many opportunities to play home nations, so it's a really exciting time.

Image source, SNS

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill tells BBC Radio Scotland a win over Steve Clarke's side would give his team a "shot in the arm".

"It was a good performance [on Friday] from a very young side," he says. "We always benefit from that kind of performance and that kind of result.

"It will be a test for us tonight but the players are looking forward to it. Scotland are strong at this minute in time. To get a result here, would give it us a shot in the arm.

"These games are never easy. Double away games are difficult logistically and in terms of how you prepare for the team.

"I think that opportunity, and where we'd like to go over the last two-four years, is similar to Scotland's journey."

Image source, SNS

Scotland manager Steve Clarke tells BBC Scotland he didn't explain to Lawrence Shankland the reasons for leaving him on the bench this evening.

"I didn't speak to him, I just picked the team," he said. "It was time. Lyndon [Dykes] and Liam Cooper didn't get any game time on Friday. It's a fresh player at the back and a fresh player up front.

"We're looking forward to a competitive game. If we can, great. If we can with a great performance and a clean sheet, even better.

"It's a different challenge tonight. We've put ourselves under pressure playing against top European sides. We want to have a nice feeling going into the summer.

"He's got some good players in that team. They'll get about us and make it difficult for us.

"I think when you get to matches like this you want to make substitutions. But we made substitutions the other night and it didn't go so well."

Reckon it's time to hear from the men in the dugout, eh?

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager and BBC NI pundit Stephen Robinson has jumped on with BBC Radio Scotland as a man who knows a thing or two about football on both sides of the Irish sea.

"I think its a good game, it doesn't have a friendly feel about it", Robinson says.

"It's a huge test for a young Northern Ireland squad against an experienced Scotland squad. This is yardstick for them.

"Northern Ireland are in a rebuilding phase at the moment. Michael O'Neill is giving caps to a lot of young boys. It'll take maybe four years to see the fruition of this.

"Credit to Steve Clarke. Maybe five or six years ago, you weren't getting this quality of player. Scotland are a very good side."

You've had plenty notice, now it's live on the box...

All the talk is about the young lads in the NI squad, but there are a few wise owls around...

Not to make Jonny Evans feel old, but, I was five when he made his Northern Ireland debut back in September 2006...

With 106 caps to his name, the 36-year-old is the fourth most-capped Northern Ireland international to date, and despite speculations of his retirement in the summer, Michael O'Neill insists he's "still got a few miles in the tank".

"Jonny and I have a really good relationship and we have had those conversations [about retirement]," O'Neill said.

"I'll obviously try and talk him out of that scenario [retiring from football] but we'll obviously respect whatever decision Jonny makes."

Read more.

Image source, Inpho

Less than five minutes until it all kicks off on the telly.

Get digging out that remote...

While there was plenty of optimism after a youthful Northern Ireland's 1-1 draw in Romania, Michael O'Neill hopes that is just the start.

A bigger challenge awaits away to Euro 2024-bound Scotland, who will be hurting after a 4-0 defeat by the Netherlands on Friday.

O'Neill was manager when the sides last faced off in 2015, and although a lot has changed since that encounter, the Northern Ireland manager is hoping that Scotland's journey will be a blueprint for the future.

"I was always aware that Scotland was a team that was going to grow," said O'Neill.

Read more

Image source, BBC Sport

Michael shares yer pain, Nick...

Image source, SNS