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Scotland's World Cup dreams resurrected by Belarus's shock draw in Denmark
Scotland's campaign for automatic World Cup qualification, left for dead after a dismal first-half collapse in Greece, was dramatically revived Sunday night-thanks to an improbable 2-2 draw by Belarus against group leaders Denmark in Copenhagen. The result, paired with Scotland's late 3-2 loss to Greece in Piraeus, sets up a winner-takes-all showdown between Scotland and Denmark at Hampden Park on Tuesday.
Chaos in Piraeus: Scotland's collapse and late surge
For 60 minutes, Scotland's hopes appeared extinct. Greece, dominant from the outset, carved through a shaky defense to race to a 3-0 lead, exposing glaring vulnerabilities in Steve Clarke's backline. John Souttar and Grant Hanley, usually dependable, were overwhelmed by the pace of Christos Tzolis and 19-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon's saves prevented an even heavier deficit. Scotland conceded six shots on target in the first half alone-their worst defensive showing in over nine years.
Yet the tide turned after the hour mark. Ben Gannon-Doak's 65th-minute strike, followed by Ryan Christie's header in the 70th, ignited a frantic comeback. The Tartan Army, moments earlier resigned to playoff purgatory, erupted as news filtered through from Copenhagen: Belarus, ranked 103rd in the world, had stunned Denmark not once but twice, equalizing in the 62nd minute before briefly taking a 70th-minute lead. Though Denmark salvaged a draw, the damage was done-Scotland's path to automatic qualification had been pried open.
"Winner takes all at Hampden."
Scotland captain Andy Robertson, minutes after the final whistle
The Copenhagen miracle: Belarus's unlikely heroics
While Scotland scrambled to reduce the deficit in Piraeus, 2,000 kilometers away in the Parken Stadium, football's cruelties and caprices were on full display. Denmark, atop Group A and heavy favorites against Belarus, led 1-0 at halftime. But the underdogs, written off before kickoff, struck twice in eight second-half minutes-first through a 62nd-minute equalizer, then a 70th-minute go-ahead goal that sent shockwaves through the Scottish contingent glued to their phones.
The result defied logic: Belarus, winless in the group and outscored 17-2 before Sunday, had not only avoided defeat but derailed Denmark's seamless march to qualification. "Nobody saw this twist," one commentator remarked. "Not even Mystic Meg on her best day." For Scotland, it was a lifeline no scriptwriter would dare pen.
Clarke's reckoning: "We got a lucky break"
Manager Steve Clarke, who had watched his side's defensive frailties nearly cost them everything, admitted the night's events bordered on the surreal. "Plenty of [nights like this] in football," he said cryptically when asked if he'd ever witnessed such drama. Pressed further, he conceded: "We got a lucky break. Belarus have done us a big favor."
Yet Clarke also pointed to a harsh truth: Scotland's late-game resurgence-20 minutes of "putting Greece to the sword," as he described it-only underscored their earlier passivity. "We have to believe in ourselves more," he insisted. The question now looms larger than the Tartan Army's jubilation: Can Scotland replicate their closing intensity against Denmark, or will the same defensive lapses that doomed them in Piraeus resurface at the worst possible moment?
Hampden's high-stakes finale
The equation is brutally simple. A Scotland victory over Denmark on Tuesday secures automatic qualification; anything less sends them to the playoffs. The Danes, smarting from their dropped points against Belarus, will arrive in Glasgow with vengeance on their minds. For Scotland, the task is twofold: exorcise the ghosts of their first-half meltdown in Greece and exploit the psychological edge gifted by Belarus's heroics.
As the Tartan Army's roars echoed through the Karaiskakis Stadium-part celebration, part disbelief-the stage was set for Hampden's most consequential night in years. Whether it ends in triumph or heartbreak may hinge on which Scotland shows up: the timid team that crumbled under pressure, or the relentless force that nearly clawed back a three-goal deficit in 30 minutes.
"For the last 15-20 minutes, we put a very good side on the back foot. We put them to the sword."
Steve Clarke, Scotland manager
