Scotland Faces Relegation After Crushing Defeat to Greece

Scotland lost 3-0 to Greece at Hampden Park, confirming their relegation to Nations League B. Steve Clarke’s team went into the second leg of their play-off with a 1-0 lead. They aren’t able to sustain their advantage. Giannis Konstantelias opened the scoring for Greece, providing his side with an all-important cushion in the first half. Scotland created a number of chances but weren’t able to find a finish, which gave Greece the opportunity to double their lead and ultimately walk away victorious.

Early Opportunities Squandered

Scotland had the better of the early chances in the game. Scott McTominay almost made it when he had a shot deflected into the side netting. He didn’t give up and had a second find the keeper in Greece’s Kostas Tzolakis, who made the save. Andy Robertson pounced on the loose ball to make it one-nil. Unfortunately, he shot it wide, missing a golden chance to strike early and go ahead.

That hope evaporated as Scotland’s midfield collapsed and gifted Greece’s Giannis Konstantelias to give the hosts the lead. His brilliant opening goal in the first half worked to set the tone for the entire match. Scotland found it impossible to take control back.

Greece Takes Command

Just as the half was ready to end, Greece doubled their lead. An alarming inability for Scotland’s midfield to follow Konstantelias left him free to square for Konstantinos Karetsas and a simple opener. And at just 17 years old, Karetsas became the youngest player in history to score a competitive goal for Greece. His score took the team to a 2-0 lead on the evening and provided them with a 2-1 lead on aggregate.

The second half could not have started worse for Scotland. Only 15 seconds into the match, Konstantelias capitalized on an errant pass from Ryan Christie. He followed this up by helping Christos Tzolis to score Greece’s third goal. Greece followed quickly with a strong and convincing response of their own, extending the Greece lead to 3-0 on the evening. With them up 3-1 on aggregate, they pretty much salted the tie away for Scotland.