Athens Agony Turns to Relief as Scotland Survive Greek Test
In a night of pure footballing drama in Athens, Scotland emerged from the chaos with their World Cup dreams intact despite suffering a 3-2 defeat against Greece. The result, combined with Denmark's surprising 2-2 draw at home to Belarus, means Steve Clarke's side live to fight another day in their quest to reach international football's grandest stage.
Gordon's Heroics Can't Prevent Greek Onslaught
Craig Gordon, at 42 years young and starting his first match in six months, produced a goalkeeping masterclass that prevented what could have been a humiliating defeat for the Scots. The veteran goalkeeper was called into action repeatedly during a first-half onslaught from a Greek side already eliminated from qualification.
Scotland's nervous start was evident from the seventh minute when a long ball from Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos caused defensive chaos. John Souttar misjudged the flight completely, and after Gordon saved from Vangelis Pavlidis, skipper Tasos Bakasetas fired home the rebound with Grant Hanley too slow to close him down.
The visitors looked spooked throughout the opening period, with Gordon making crucial saves to deny Tzolis and Panagiotis Retsos. Had Scotland been three or four goals down by the half-hour mark, there could have been no complaints about the scoreline.
Dramatic Comeback Falls Just Short
Scotland finally showed signs of life before half-time, with Scott McTominay rattling the crossbar and both Che Adams and Ben Gannon-Doak missing good opportunities. However, the situation appeared dire when Greece extended their lead to 3-0 after the break, with Karetsas curling home beautifully before Tzolis fired past Gordon from 25 yards.
Then came the remarkable revival. John McGinn whipped in a cross from the left and Gannon-Doak thumped it high into the roof of the net to spark hopes of an unlikely comeback. When news filtered through that Belarus had taken a shock lead against Denmark, the atmosphere intensified.
Ryan Christie then headed home from an Andy Robertson cross to make it 3-2, setting up a grandstand finish. Scotland pressed relentlessly for an equaliser, with Adams missing another good chance and Christie forcing a fine save from Vlachodimos. Greece had skipper Bakasetas sent off late on, but the equaliser never materialised.
Hampden Awaits Historic Showdown
As the full-time whistle sounded in Athens, the players waited anxiously for confirmation from Copenhagen. When news of Denmark's draw arrived, the Tartan Army erupted in celebration despite the defeat.
The equation remains beautifully simple for Scotland: beat Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday night and they will qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 27 years. What promised to be a nervous night in Athens has set the stage for one of Scottish football's most significant matches in a generation.
Steve Clarke's men now return to Glasgow knowing that victory against the Danes would write their names into Scottish football history. After surviving this Greek drama, the dream remains very much alive.
