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Ben Doak’s performance on Friday night was missing only one thing.
Imagine if somebody did this now. My favourite bit is the matter-of-fact way the commentator Arthur Montford says, “Murray having a seat on the ball”, as if it was as commonplace as a throw-in.
Read Ewan Murray on Ben Doak
Doak has searing pace and a direct style that appeals to the paying punter. What you see is what you get. His working-class roots are a welcome antidote to the sense football has become overpriced or unappealing to that group in society. Supporters can relate to Doak’s personality and approach to the game. But he is also hugely effective; Josko Gvardiol looked terrified at times in Glasgow.
Team news
Steve Clarke makes two changes to the team that beat Croatia: John McGinn and Lyndon Dykes replace Ryan Christie and Tommy Conway.
Poland, who are without the injured Robert Lewandowski for this international break, make seven changes to the team that was hammered by Portugal on Friday. And if you think I’m going to list them all, you’ve got another thing coming. The survivors are the captain Piotr Zielinski, Jakub Kiwior, Nicola Zalewski and Kamil Piatkowski.
Poland (3-5-2) Skorupski; Piatkowski, Walukiewicz, Kiwior; Kaminski, S Szymanski, Moder, Zielinski, Zalewski; Buksa, Swiderski.
Substitutes: tbc
Scotland (4-2-3-1) Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gilmour, McLean; Doak, McTominay, McGinn; Dykes.
Substitutes: Slicker, Robby McCrorie, Shankland, Christie, Hendry, Barron, Taylor, McKenna, Armstrong, Conway, Gauld, Devlin.
Referee Christian Dingert (Germany)
The state of play in Group A1
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Portugal 13pts
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Croatia 7
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Poland 4 (GD-6)
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Scotland 4 (-2)
Scotland’s goal difference is superior, mainly because Poland were walloped 5-1 in Portugal, but the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record so they are in third place. It also means they can’t go above Croatia – but Scotland can if they win and Portugal beat Croatia in Split.
Hang on, the quarter-finals of the Nations League: when did that happen? It’ll be a 32-team jamboree by 2031, mark our words.
Preamble
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Scotland’s dramatic victory over Croatia on Friday kept alive their hopes of avoiding automatic relegation from Group A1 of the Nations League. All they have to do now is beat Poland in Warsaw. If they manage that, they could yet qualify for the quarter-finals as well.
Scotland’s campaign started with an exasperating 3-2 defeat at home to Poland, with Nicola Zalenski scoring the winner from the penalty spot in the 97th minute. That goal looks even more significant; without it, Scotland would only need a draw tonight to finish third in the group.
No matter. Scotland are still alive and they have the thing their fanbase needs more than most: hope. Right now it comes in the peedie, speedy form of Ben Doak, the teenage winger whose sizzling performance against Croatia was like a modern reworking of Jinky Johnstone.
The kid’s only 19 so we shouldn’t get carried away. And we certainly shouldn’t point out that he has the same initials as the trophy Messi and Ronaldo monopolised from 2008–23.
Kick off 7.45pm.
