Scotland vs Ukraine

Hampden Park is the venue as Scotland and Ukraine go head-to-head in the rescheduled 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off semi-finals.

Scotland won six successive World Cup qualifying fixtures to finish runners-up to Denmark in Group F and are now only two victories away from their first appearance in the World Cup finals since 1998. However, Steve Clarke’s men know that stretching their impressive 11-game unbeaten World Cup qualifying record at Hampden Park (W8, D1) would make them super-villains. Quick out of the blocks, Andy Robertson and co have netted the opener in their last five games. Since completing their underwhelming Euro 2020 journey in the group phase, the ‘Tartan Terriers’ have won all three World Cup qualifiers at home by an aggregate score of 6-2, keeping a clean sheet in two of them. What’s more, Scotland ran out comfortable 3-1 victors in their only previous competitive home meeting with Ukraine.

In the meantime, sympathy for Ukraine is pouring in from around the globe as Russia’s devastating invasion continues. The Ukrainian footballers will be desperate to bring some joy to those back home. Inspired by a runner-up finish to reigning world champions France in a highly-competitive Group D, Oleksandr Petrakov’s lads will be aiming to capitalise on back-to-back away victories in the ongoing World Cup qualifying cycle. Achieving that feat would bring them one step closer to reaching their first World Cup finals since 2006. Worryingly, though, over half of Ukraine’s squad is playing in the Ukrainian Premier League – which hasn’t seen a fixture since mid-December – casting doubt on the visitors’ match fitness.