Scotland and England will lock horns at Hampden Park on Tuesday on the 150th anniversary of the oldest international fixture in football.
The dreaded international break is on the cusp of ending. One of the final games of the fortnight will see Scotland and England celebrating the 150th anniversary of the oldest international fixture in football at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.
2023 has been a good year thus far for Scotland. The Tartan Army began the campaign in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers in fine form, winning all five games, including a shock 2-0 win over Scotland to climb to the top of the table. And they have conceded only one goal in those outings thus far.
Like the home side, the visitors have also done well in 2023 after seeing 2022 end poorly with relegation to UEFA Nations League B. The Three Lions comfortably sit atop Group C in UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, with four wins in five games. But England played out a disappointing 1-1 draw last week in what was a blip for Gareth Southgate’s men.
Scotland and England last met in UEFA Euro 2020, with the teams managing only three shots on target in a dire 0-0 draw. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Scotland
Final prep for 🏴#SCOENG pic.twitter.com/5h5sXSxDu1
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 11, 2023
Steve Clarke made many changes to the squad he had picked in June’s round of fixtures. Many of them could not make the cut due to fitness issues. Meanwhile, Liam Kelly and Elliot Anderson have pulled out of the squad for September’s games due to their respective injuries.
But Clarke does not have any pressing issues hampering his preparations ahead of the highly-anticipated friendly against England this week. So, the Scotland boss will name a full-strength starting eleven on Tuesday.
Angus Gunn should feature between the sticks, with Scotland lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him. And the central defensive unit should consist of Ryan Porteous, Jack Hendry, and Kieran Tierney.
Meanwhile, Nathan Patterson and captain Andrew Robertson will be the two wing-backs. The duo will flank Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor in the middle of the park. Scott McTominay and John McGinn should be the more advanced midfielders, with the former in fine form. Finally, Lyndon Dykes will spearhead the attack against England on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gunn; Porteous, Hendry, Tierney; Patterson, Stuart Armstrong, McGregor, Robertson; McTominay, McGinn; Dykes
England
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish pulled out from the squad ahead of the game against Ukraine last week. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw and John Stones are the other notable absentees for England against Scotland.
Gareth Southgate experimented with his starting eleven last week, and the changes did not work out. So the England boss should name a familiar team against Scotland, lining his team up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of Jordan Pickford.
Ready for Scotland 💪@trippier2 looks ahead to tomorrow's 50th Anniversary Heritage Match… pic.twitter.com/yKxiPnZOgh
— England (@England) September 11, 2023
Levi Colwill benefits from Stones’s absence, forming the central defensive partnership alongside Harry Maguire. Meanwhile, Kieran Trippier and Ben Chilwell should be the full-back pairing for England.
As for the midfield unit, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice should have Conor Gallagher for company in the middle of the park. Bellingham’s traditional midfield role should bring the best out of him. Finally, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Marcus Rashford should form the offensive unit for England against Scotland.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Trippier, Maguire, Colwill, Chilwell; Gallagher, Rice, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Rashford
Key Stats
- Tuesday’s clash will be the 116th meeting between the two sides, with England winning 48 and Scotland 41 (D27). But the Three Lions have lost just one of the past 12 meetings (W8 D3), a 1-0 home defeat in the Euro 2000 play-off. They are unbeaten in four games at Hampden Park (W2 D2) since a 1-0 loss in May 1985.
- Scotland have lost just one of their last 19 home games in all competitions (W14 D4), winning the past six in a row. They most recently had a longer home winning run between August 1995 and April 1997, a seven-game streak. On the other hand, England have failed to win four of their past six away games (W2 D2 L2), as many as they had in their previous 13 on the road (W9 D2 L2).
- England have only conceded a first-half goal in two of their last 12 matches, although one of these was the 1-1 draw against Ukraine in their most recent game. They most recently conceded in the opening 45 minutes in back-to-back matches in October 2020 (vs Belgium and Denmark).
- Scotland have won 15 of their last 21 games (D3 L3), winning the past five in a row while scoring at least two goals each time.
- Scott McTominay has scored in his past three home appearances for Scotland, netting five goals. Kris Boyd was the last player to score in four consecutive home games in September 2007, as he found the back of the net in each of his first four caps on home soil.
Player to Watch
Scott McTominay
Things might not be hunky-dory for Scott McTominay at the club level, with game time hard to come by at Manchester United. But he has been a revelation for Scotland this year, often scoring goals for fun.
Such has been McTominay’s impact that he is currently the top scorer in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers. And reprising an advanced midfield role has brought the best out of the 26-year-old. Meanwhile, reports continue to link the Scottish international with other clubs. And he will look to improve his fortunes with another eye-catching performance for the Tartan Army.
Prediction
Scotland 2-2 England
Scotland and England will be in celebration mode to felicitate the 150th anniversary of the oldest international fixture in football. So they might not fight hard for second balls and look to entertain the crowd assembling at Hampden Park.
That might not mean that they will take their feet off the pedals. But Scotland and England should give us a thoroughly entertaining game, which should end in a stalemate. The Hard tackle thus predicts the two neighbours to produce a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.
