Scotland keep Euro 2024 dreams alive with draw against Switzerland

Scotland have kept their dream of reaching the knockout stages of Euro 2024 alive with a draw against Switzerland in Cologne.

They went into the game knowing they had to avoid defeat if they wanted to get out of the groups at a major tournament for the first time.

And they will now take it to the last group game after the 1-1 draw on Wednesday night. Scotland will need a win over Hungary on Sunday night to progress.

“It was what we expected,” said boss Steve Clarke. “This is the way we have been playing as a team for the last three or four years. It is why we are here at a major tournament.

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‘We are still alive’: Clarke hails Scotland’s reaction against Switzerland

Scotland now go into the last game knowing a win could put them through to the last-16.

“It was a good reaction to a disappointing night and we are still alive in the tournament.”

Scott McTominay opened the scoring when his shot deflected off Fabian Schar and into the net to give Steve Clarke’s men a dream start.

But Xheridan Shaqiri got Switzerland level with a superb strike just ten minutes later.

The entertaining game flowed from end-to-end after that with neither side able to take control with chances coming at both ends.

A win over Hungary on Sunday will now more than likely be enough for the Tartan Army to continue their German adventure into the last-16.

It was a promising start for Scotland who had a couple of corners within the first five minutes but nothing materialised from the early pressure.

However, they found themselves in-front on the 15th minute mark when McTominay finished off a good counter attack.

Andy Robertson made a darting run up the pitch before squaring it to Callum McGregor and he cut it back to the Manchester United midfielder who fired past Jan Sommer to make it 1-0.

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The strike was deflected into net via Switzerland defender Fabian Schar.

But Switzerland got themselves just over ten minutes later when Shaqiri took advantage of a mistake by Anthony Ralston and produced a top class finish from distance that left Angus Gunn with no chance.

Gunn was called into action soon after but this time the Norwich stopper produced a top-class save to thwart an impressive attacking move.

Switzerland had the ball in the net from the resulting corner but the Tartan Army breathed a sigh of relief when the assistant referee put his flag up to chop the goal off.

Che Adams then came to close to giving Scotland the lead again when he met a McTominay corner at the back post, but his effort was well saved by Sommer.

It was end-to-end stuff at the end of the half and Gunn made another good save before Switzerland had an appeal for a penalty denied by the ref.

But it remained all square going into the break and all to play for in the second 45.

The second-half started very much the same way as the first finished with both teams looking to get on the front foot and impose themselves on the game.

Switzerland had a flurry of early corners in the half but after that Scotland had a good spell of possession in the opposition half.

The Swiss should have taken the lead just before the hour-mark when they broke the defence but Dan N’Doye sent his shot just wide of the post.

Scotland then suffered a blow when Kieran Tierney went down injured and had to be stretchered off.

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He was replaced by Scott McKenna in the back-three with the injury looking as though it could bring an end to the Arsenal defender’s tournament.

Scotland were up against it soon after when Vargas burst through before cutting inside and blasting an effort well wide of Gunn’s post.

But they had another spell of pressure up the other end and it looked to have opened up for Billy Gilmour but he struck his effort of the defender.

And Grant Hanley then came close to putting Scotland back in front when his close range header had the beating off Sommer but smashed off the inside of the post before being cleared.

Bree Embolo then had the ball in the net after a nice lobbed finish over Gunn, but the Monaco forward was found to be marginally offside by VAR and score stayed level.

Scotland came close to stealing all three points late into injury time when Roberston sent a cross into the area but the Swiss managed to claw it away from danger.

Steve Clarke praised the reaction from his side to bounce back from a disappointing opening day defeat to grab a point in Cologne that keeps their hopes of getting out of the group alive.

Speaking after the game he said: “That’s what we expected, this is the way we have been playing as a team for the last three or four years and it’s why we are here at a major tournament.

“The players knew what they had to do and I thought it was a good team performance against a good opponent.

“It was a good reaction to a disappointing night (against Germany) and we are still alive in the tournament.

“Sometimes as a manager or as a player it just doesn’t go your way, and it certainly didn’t go our way on Friday night so tonight was just about getting back to what we are good at.”

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