Five of Scotland's greatest matches
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
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With Gordon Strachan's men clinging on to their hopes of qualifying, UEFA.com's Alex O'Henley selects five of Scotland's most inspiring ever performances.
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Scotland need six points against Poland and Gibraltar in their final Group H games to stand a chance of making it to UEFA EURO 2016. However, as UEFA.com discovers, they are often at their best when the odds are stacked against them.
England 2-3 Scotland
15/04/67, UEFA European Championship qualifying
Scotland's most famous victory over England came less than a year after the 'Auld Enemy' had won the the FIFA World Cup. Sir Alf Ramsey's side were unbeaten going into the match at Wembley but goals from Denis Law, Bobby Lennox and Jim McCalliog gave Scotland supporters a day to savour.
The Tartan Army subsequently proclaimed themselves as unofficial world champions, their superiority summed up by Jim Baxter's cheeky 'keepy-uppy' routine near the end.
Scotland 2-1 Czechoslovakia
26/09/73, FIFA World Cup qualifying
Scotland had not qualified for a World Cup since 1958 when they met Czechoslovakia needing a win to reach the 1974 finals. Almost 100,000 packed inside Hampden Park to see Zdeněk Nehoda put the visitors ahead. The late Jim Holton equalised before the break and a young Joe Jordan came off the bench to score the winner 15 minutes from time.
"It's a goal I remember with as much fondness as any other in my career," said Jordan, who went on to score in three World Cups for Scotland. "I was a youngster compared to the likes of Denis Law and Billy Bremner. The reaction on their faces made it clear what it meant to them."
Wales 1-1 Scotland
10/09/85, FIFA World Cup qualifying
A late Davie Cooper penalty cancelled out Mark Hughes' opener to send Scotland into a World Cup play-off against Australia, which they won. However, the match was overshadowed by the death of manager Jock Stein, who collapsed with a heart attack in the closing stages of the 1-1 draw and passed away minutes later in the medical room at Ninian Park.
"It was a very emotional time," said captain Graeme Souness, who was suspended that night. "When they got the news he had died, [the dressing room] was a pretty sombre place as you can imagine. There were tears."
France 0-1 Scotland
12/09/07, UEFA European Championship qualifying
Having beaten France 1-0 at Hampden, Scotland recorded an unlikely double to inflict only a second home defeat in 13 years on Les Blues. A magnificent resistance was capped by James McFadden's spectacular long-range shot. Ultimately, the campaign ended in failure with Italy and France progressing to UEFA EURO 2008, but that night in Paris is remembered as one of Scotland's finest away performances.
"I didn't realise how special it was at the time," McFadden later recalled. "I don't think we as younger players got it. But David Weir did. He was going around getting his top signed by everybody telling us to enjoy it and never to forget. He knew exactly what it meant."
England 1-5 Scotland
31/03/28, British home championships
Scotland's most comprehensive victory against England came in 1928, when an unfancied side travelled to Wembley and returned as heroes after a remarkable 5-1 win.
Alex Jackson grabbed a hat-trick, with Alex James scoring the other two and commenting afterwards that the Scots "could have had ten". While Wales would eventually go on to win the tournament, that Scottish side would nevertheless become immortalised as the 'Wembley Wizards'.