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Scotland cling to hopes of automatic World Cup qualification despite Greece defeat / Photo: © AFP
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Scotland cling to hopes of automatic World Cup qualification despite Greece defeat
Scotland's chances of automatic World Cup qualification are still alive despite a 3-2 defeat in Greece on an evening of compelling drama in their European qualifying group.
Despite the loss in Piraeus, a win against Group C leaders Denmark on Tuesday would seal an automatic qualifying spot after the Danes were held 2-2 by Belarus.
Steve Clarke's men looked down and out when trailing 3-0 but they stormed back, narrowly failing to equalise.
Denmark, with 11 points, lead Scotland by a single point after five matches ahead of their decisive meeting in Glasgow, though Denmark have a far superior goal difference and can afford to draw.
Scotland have not played at a World Cup since 1998, when the tournament was held in the United States.
Scotland made a disastrous start in Greece. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a sharp save from Vangelis Pavlidis but the ball fell to Anastasios Bakasetas, who sidestepped Grant Hanley before drilling low into the bottom-right corner.
Gordon kept his team alive with a succession of sharp saves as Greece threatened to overwhelm the Scots, who looked desperately short of belief and intensity.
The home team could have been out of sight well before half-time but Clarke's team somehow weathered the storm and found their feet.
Scott McTominay rattled the bar as the clock ticked over into stoppage time at the end of the first half while Che Adams headed narrowly wide and Ben Gannon-Doak squandered a glorious chance to level on the stroke of half-time.
Adams missed a gilt-edged chance to level in the 53rd minute and four minutes later the Greeks caught Scotland out with a sucker punch.
Andrews Tetteh raced down the left on the break, squaring for Konstantinos Karetsas, who produced a superb finish.
Christos Tzolis then beat Gordon with a powerful strike from range to make it 3-0 as news filtered through that Belarus had levelled against Denmark, radically changing the group mathematics.
Gannon-Doak pulled a goal back for Scotland and Ryan Christie nodded home from Andy Robertson's cross as Belarus took the lead in Copenhagen.
But Scotland squandered a number of good chances and Denmark levelled to leave Clarke's team facing an uphill task.
If they finish second in the group they will have to qualify for next year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States through the play-offs.
M.Powell--SFF
