Scotland's Ferguson saves the day with crucial comeback win against Greece

If Scotland reach next summer’s World Cup, they will look back on this as a pivotal night. There may even be laughter mixed with reflection.

Few would argue that Steve Clarke’s side truly earned this victory. Lewis Ferguson and Lyndon Dykes secured the win, but it was far from a dominant performance. Despite holding just 31% possession, Scotland now sit in a strong position in Group C. A place in the playoffs could be confirmed on Sunday when Belarus visit Glasgow. Greece, meanwhile, face an uphill battle as they prepare to travel to Denmark.

"Football lasts 90 minutes, and the most important thing is leaving with a positive result," Clarke said. "A 3-1 scoreline might be generous, but we did enough to win. This is an important step forward—ultimately, results determine qualification."

Evaluating this Scotland team has never been straightforward, and this match was a perfect example. The excitement from their last European Championship campaign was quickly replaced by disappointment in Germany and later in the Nations League. Scotland recovered well in their group before suffering a heavy loss to Greece in a playoff. A strong start to their World Cup qualifiers, with four points from two games, had lifted spirits—until Greece delivered a crushing 3-0 defeat in Glasgow back in March, which should have served as a warning.

Greece gave Scotland an early advantage by benching Konstantinos Karetsas, their recovering star forward. Still, the visitors nearly struck first within eight minutes. A precise pass from Tasos Bakasetas left Vangelis Pavlidis with an open net, but he somehow failed to convert.

Greece dominated the flanks early on but failed to capitalize, while Scotland struggled to create any chances against their opponents' relentless pressing. "We had to dig deep," Clarke admitted.

He resisted making immediate changes at halftime, despite Ben Gannon-Doak’s quiet performance on the left. Scotland’s first-half expected goals tally stood at a mere 0.06, and Clarke lacked obvious game-changing options on the bench.

Within moments of the restart, Pavlidis missed another opportunity, heading over from close range. Hampden’s frustration grew when Giorgos Masouras wasted Greece’s next chance by scuffing his shot over the bar. Scotland, still aiming to make their mark, had yet to test the goalkeeper.

Their first substitution was forced—Aaron Hickey, who has struggled with injuries, pulled up and had to be replaced. The Brentford defender’s exit added to an already challenging evening.