Scotland drawn to face Hungary in Euro 2025 play-off round one

Scotland will have to defeat Hungary and then win against Finland or Montenegro to reach Euro 2025.

The national team learned their path to the finals when the play-off draw was conducted on Friday and they need to come through two rounds to reach next summer’s tournament in Switzerland.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side had earned a play-off place by finishing top of a League B group including Serbia, Slovakia and Israel.

Their first opponent will be Hungary, with the two-legged ties to be played on Friday, October 25 and Tuesday, October 29.

Hungary reached the play-offs after finishing third in their League B group behind Switzerland and Turkey and are ranked 43rd in the world, 20 places behind Scotland.

Should Scotland progress, they will face either Finland, ranked 26th and who were bottom of their League A qualifying group behind Italy, Netherlands and Norway, or Montenegro.

Montenegro finished third in their League C group, six points behind Greece and with their only wins coming against Faroe Islands and Andorra.

The round two play-off ties are scheduled to be played on November 29 and December 3.

Speaking after Tuesday’s win over Serbia, Scotland winger Erin Cuthbert said the team would need to be “clinical and ruthless” to reach the finals.

“I think from here on in it gets harder, the opposition gets harder, the pressure gets harder,” Cuthbert said.

“I think now it’s time for us all to step up. It’s how we handle pressure because it’s going to be really important.

“There’s going to be moments where we need to sit in, defend for our lives, and there’s going to be moments where we have to be really, really clinical, because we may or may not get the chances that we get in this campaign, as many that we’ve had.

“So I think we’re going to have to be ruthless and we’re going to have to see a really ruthless Scotland, and front-footed as well, because I think we do best when we high-press teams and we win the ball high up the park.”