How have Scottish clubs fared against English opposition?

Unfortunately for those of an Aberdeen persuasion, the recent history of club matches between English and Scottish teams makes grim reading for devotees north of the border. Scotland's representatives are without a win in their last 13 encounters with English clubs (D7 L6) since Shunsuke Nakamura's goal at Parkhead earned Celtic a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage.

However, the overall statistics in the 49 UEFA games between the neighbours' clubs are not quite so dispiriting. The English sides have had the better of them (W18 D18 L13) but it is only in the last decade that a gulf in class has opened up. Had history stopped on the night of Nakamura's goal, the Scots would have had the better record: 13 wins to England's 12.

Shunsuke Nakamura after his 2006 winner against United©Getty Images

That recent English streak has also tilted the balance in terms of Scottish clubs' home record against English counterparts: in 25 matches, the Scots' home record is now W8 D8 L9, with Scottish sides on a seven-game winless streak on their own patch – the worst-ever run.

Scottish supporters may tie that trend to the rise of the English Premier League and the number of top-class foreign players drawn to clubs south of the border, but – perhaps ironically – all the Scottish clubs' goals in their three most recent successes against English teams came from foreigners (two Englishmen, a Welshman, a Swede and a Japanese in Nakamura).

Rangers golden boy Ally McCoist in his Ibrox heyday©Getty Images

The last Scotsman to score in a victory against English opposition in UEFA competition was Ally McCoist, author of Rangers' second in their 2-1 triumph against Leeds United in the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League second round.

While Burnley have never faced Scottish opposition in European competition, Aberdeen have met English sides on six previous occasions: following the first leg against Burnley, the Pittodrie club's record reads W1 D3 L3, that sole victory a 3-1 triumph against Ipswich Town in the 1981/82 UEFA Cup first round when a certain Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of the Scottish side.

Dundee United's Paul Sturrock lets fly against United©Getty Images

Every UEFA competition game between English and Scottish clubs*

Rangers 2-0 Wolves, 1960/61 Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Wolves 1-1 Rangers, 1960/61 Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Tottenham 5-2 Rangers, 1962/63 Cup Winners' Cup first round
Rangers 2-3 Tottenham, 1962/63 Cup Winners' Cup first round
Celtic 1-0 Liverpool, 1965/66 Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Liverpool 2-0 Celtic, 1965/66 Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Dunfermline 0-0 West Brom, 1969/70 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals
West Brom 0-1 Dunfermline, 1969/70 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals
Leeds 0-1 Celtic, 1970/71 European Cup semi-finals
Celtic 2-1 Leeds, 1970/71 European Cup semi-finals
Aberdeen 1-1 Tottenham, 1973/74 UEFA Cup second round
Tottenham 4-1 Aberdeen, 1973/74 UEFA Cup second round
Leeds 0-0 Hibernian, 1973/74 UEFA Cup second round
Hibernian 0-0 Leeds, 1973/74 UEFA Cup second round
Hibernian 1-0 Liverpool, 1975/76 UEFA Cup first round
Liverpool 3-1 Hibernian, 1975/76 UEFA Cup first round
Aberdeen 0-1 Liverpool, 1980/81 European Cup first round
Liverpool 3-1 Aberdeen, 1980/81 European Cup first round
Ipswich 1-1 Aberdeen, 1981/82 UEFA Cup first round
Aberdeen 3-1 Ipswich, 1981/82 UEFA Cup first round
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Celtic, 1983/84 UEFA Cup third round
Celtic 1-2 Nottingham Forest, 1983/84 UEFA Cup third round
Manchester United 2-2 Dundee United, 1984/85 UEFA Cup third round
Dundee United 2-3 Manchester United, 1984/85 UEFA Cup third round
Rangers 2-1 Leeds, 1992/93 UEFA Champions League second round
Leeds 1-2 Rangers, 1992/93 UEFA Champions League second round
Celtic 2-2 Liverpool, 1997/98 UEFA Cup first round
Liverpool 0-0 Celtic, 1997/98 UEFA Cup first round
Celtic 1-0 Blackburn, 2002/03 UEFA Cup second round
Blackburn 0-2 Celtic, 2002/03 UEFA Cup second round
Celtic 1-1 Liverpool, 2002/03 UEFA Cup quarter-finals
Liverpool 0-2 Celtic, 2002/03 UEFA Cup quarter-finals
Rangers 0-1 Manchester United, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester United 3-0 Rangers, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester United 3-2 Celtic, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage
Celtic 1-0 Manchester United, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester United 3-0 Celtic, 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage
Celtic 1-1 Manchester United, 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage
Celtic 0-2 Arsenal, 2009/10 UEFA Champions League play-offs
Arsenal 3-1 Celtic, 2009/10 UEFA Champions League play-offs
Manchester United 0-0 Rangers, 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage
Rangers 0-1 Manchester United, 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage
Hearts 0-5 Tottenham, 2011/12 UEFA Europa League play-offs
Tottenham 0-0 Hearts, 2011/12 UEFA Europa League play-offs
Hearts 0-1 Liverpool, 2012/13 UEFA Europa League play-offs
Liverpool 1-1 Hearts, 2012/13 UEFA Europa League play-offs
Celtic 3-3 Manchester City, 2016/17 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester City 1-1 Celtic, 2016/17 UEFA Champions League group stage
Aberdeen 1-1 Burnley, 2018/19 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round first leg
Burnley v Aberdeen, 2018/19 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round second leg

Celtic's Brian McClair takes on Nottingham Forest©Getty Images

*NB: No games included from the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was not a UEFA competition

Fairs Cup meetings between the nations' clubs are as follows
Everton 1-0 Dunfermline, 1962/63 first round
Dunfermline 2-0 Everton, 1962/63 first round
Kilmarnock 0-2 Everton, 1964/65 second round
Everton 4-1 Kilmarnock, 1964/65 second round
Leeds 4-2 Kilmarnock, 1966/67 semi-finals
Kilmarnock 0-0 Leeds, 1966/67 semi-finals
Leeds 1-0 Hibernian, 1967/68 third round
Hibernian 1-1 Leeds, 1967/68 third round
Rangers 0-0 Leeds, 1967/68 quarter-finals
Leeds 2-0 Rangers, 1967/68 quarter-finals
Dundee 1-1 Leeds, 1967/68 semi-finals
Leeds 1-0 Dundee, 1967/68 semi-finals
Chelsea 5-0 Morton, 1968/69 first round
Morton 3-4 Chelsea, 1968/69 first round
Rangers 0-0 Newcastle, 1968/69 semi-finals
Newcastle 2-0 Rangers, 1968/69 semi-finals
Dundee 1-2 Newcastle, 1969/70 first round
Newcastle 1-0 Dundee, 1969/70 first round
Hibernian 0-1 Liverpool, 1970/71 third round
Liverpool 2-0 Hibernian, 1970/71 third round