Scotland to face Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March as part of Euro 2024 preparations

Scotland will play Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March as the national team continues preparations for Euro 2024.

Manager Steve Clarke had expressed his wish for a test against a top-tier nation in the next international break and will now see his players pitted against Virgil van Dijk and company in a tough away game.

The team will also face Northern Ireland at Hampden as competition for places in the team and squad continue.

Scotland will travel to the Netherlands for the first of the friendlies on Friday, March 22, though the Dutch FA have yet to confirm the location.

Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland team will then arrive at Hampden for the second game on March 26 for the second game, in front of what is likely to be a huge crowd as excitement builds ahead of Euro 2024.

Scotland last faced Netherlands as part of their build-up to Euro 2020.

Billy Gilmour made his senior debut in a 2-2 draw, when both Jack Hendry and Kevin Nisbet scored their first goals for Scotland before a last-minute Memphis Depay free-kick denied Steve Clarke’s side a victory.

Scotland enjoy a positive record in match-ups against Northern Ireland over the years, with 17 victories and nine defeats across 36 games.

Christophe Berra scored the only goal of the game when the side last met, in a friendly at Hampden in 2015.

📅 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Two dates for your 2024 diary.

Steve Clarke's Scotland will face The Netherlands away and Northern Ireland at home in international friendly matches in March next year.

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— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) December 11, 2023

The matches will be crucial for Clarke and his players as they continue to work towards next summer’s Euro finals.

The team has been handed the glamour opening game against hosts Germany at the Allianz Arena before facing Switzerland in Cologne and Hungary in Stuttgart in the other group games.