7 months ago
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Scotland roared backmost to bushed Greece 3-1 connected Thursday (October 9, 2025) to boost their hopes of nonstop qualification for the 2026 World Cup, portion Cody Gakpo inspired the Netherlands to a 4-0 triumph successful Malta.
The Greeks took the pb successful Glasgow aboriginal successful the 2nd play done Kostas Tsimikas, earlier Scotland deed backmost done Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson and Lyndon Dykes to unafraid a 2nd triumph from 3 Group C qualifying matches for Steve Clarke's side.
Scotland are looking to suffice for the World Cup for the archetypal clip since 1998.
"Massive win. We're not naive capable to cognize we weren't astatine our champion tonight. The absorption to going 1-0 down was brilliant," said Christie.
"Two monolithic games -- that's 1 ticked disconnected and present onto Sunday (when Scotland instrumentality connected Belarus)."
Tsimikas, connected indebtedness astatine Roma from Premier League champions Liverpool, gave Greece a deserved pb connected 62 minutes arsenic helium stroked location a breaking shot from the borderline of the six-yard box.
But Hampden Park roared 2 minutes aboriginal arsenic Christie bundled successful from adjacent scope to level for the hosts -- the extremity yet validated aft a lengthy VAR cheque for offside.
A deflected Che Adams effort successful the 75th infinitesimal bobbled narrowly wide arsenic the location broadside woke up.
The decisive extremity came 5 minutes aboriginal arsenic Ferguson opened his relationship for Scotland, blasting successful aft the Greeks failed to wide an Andy Robertson free-kick.
Angus Gunn made a good prevention to support Scotland up successful wounded time, earlier Dykes pounced connected a goalkeeping mistake astatine the different extremity to seal the win.
Denmark apical Group C, though are level connected 7 points with Scotland and 4 up of Greece, courtesy of a handsome 6-0 triumph successful Belarus.
Napoli striker Rasmus Hojlund continued his good vein of signifier arsenic helium netted doubly for the Danes.
Liverpool's Gakpo converted 2 spot-kicks either broadside of the interruption and acceptable up Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for the Netherlands's 3rd goal, with Memphis Depay besides netting precocious on.
A 4th triumph successful 5 matches for Ronald Koeman's broadside leaves them apical of Group G connected 13 points, 3 wide of second-placed Poland.
Finland beryllium 3rd -- besides connected 10 points, albeit having played 1 lucifer much than the Dutch and Polish -- aft a 2-1 triumph astatine location to Lithuania.
Croatia and the Czech Republic stay locked level astatine the acme of Group L aft playing retired a goalless stalemate successful Prague, nevertheless the 2018 World Cup runners-up person a crippled successful hand.
Faroe Islands secured a 3rd triumph successful six outings successful the group, beating Montenegro 4-0 successful Torshavn, to beryllium 4 points down the pair.
In Group H, Austria thumped San Marino 10-0 astatine location arsenic Marko Arnautovic grabbed 4 goals, portion Bosnia and Hercegovina drew 2-2 with Cyprus successful Larnaca.
Cyprus's 97th-minute equaliser from the spot condemned Bosnia to 2nd spot successful the pool, 2 points down the Austrians who besides person a crippled successful manus connected the Bosnians.
