More reaction and analysis
That’s it for tonight’s blog. Thanks for your company and emails - sorry that I didn’t have chance to read them all. I’ll leave you with Dave Hytner’s report and Jacob Steinberg’s player ratings. Goodnight!
Steve Clarke’s verdict
“I’m delighted for the players and the staff. It was a great performance - we knew we’d have to suffer a bit out of possession but I was delighted with the way we played with the ball. I’ve said for a while: we’re a good team. I thought the reaction after Monday was a bit over the top, and it’s nice to maybe close a few voices down.
“I think we showed the real Scotland on Monday, and we got harshly criticised for it. We played one of the favourites for the tournament tonight; we worked hard without the ball and we were creative with it. It’s only a point but it’s a good night for us. Now we try to get three more points that would get us into the next stage of the competition.
“Stephen O’Donnell’s performance was outstanding. He was very, very unfairly criticised on Monday, and if he had scored with that volley it would have been justice for the boy. Billy Gilmour is a really top player, his performance was never in doubt. His legs ran out towards the end - he doesn’t get much football at Chelsea - but he’s trained well and it was nice to get him on the pitch.
“It’ll be a big game on Tuesday. I hope the fans enjoy tonight, behave themselves and get back home safely.”
And here’s Tyrone Mings
“I think the intensity from all of us wasn’t good enough. We’re delighted with a clean sheet and a point because it’s another step towards our goal of qualification, but we lacked intensity. I don’t think Harry being taken off is a reflection of his performance, or him; we all have to take responsibility when things don’t go right. We kept a clean sheet and we’ll take a point.”
The views of Gareth Southgate
“It was a frustrating night. We know we can play better. We’ve gotta give Scotland huge credit – they defended valiantly and played well. We didn’t do enough to win the game. We understand it’s a disappointment for our supporters especially.
“[On Kane’s substitution] I felt we needed a few more runs in behind, and that Marcus would give us that energy. We have to base these decisions on what we see. We’ve got to be better, and that starts with me. We didn’t have enough attempts at goal and we need to look at that over the next few days.
“It was really difficult to find space tonight. Scotland defended really well and we weren’t able to open them up. I think I know exactly where this team is – it’s a very young team and some of them won’t have experienced a night with that intensity and pressure. They will have learned from that.”
Roy Keane’s verdict “Scotland won the midfield battle. England’s mindset was to pass the ball sideways and backwards. You’ve gotta pass forward; don’t be afraid to lose it. Home advantage can bring an added pressure and England didn’t win well enough with it.”
On ITV, Gary Neville is scathing of England’s performance, particularly their energy levels. He’s right, but there’s going to be all sorts of hot air between now and their game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
“That scramble in injury time was summed up by our commentators here in Spain as ‘fútbol británico’,” says John Parry. “Enough said.”
The post-match views of Andy Robertson
“I think we had the big chances. At times we kept the ball superbly, frustrated them, and on another night we could have come away with more. We’ll take a point, it keeps us alive. But it’s important we use this feeling to get a positive result on Tuesday.
“[Where do you rank Billy Gilmour’s debut?] My god. Right up there, right up there. I spoke to him in the hotel today, and I looked at him, and nothing fazes him. He can have as many caps as he wants for Scotland.”
Updated
The boy’s a bit special
🏴 Congrats, Billy Gilmour! Star of the Match on his first Scotland start 👏👏👏#EUROSOTM | @Heineken | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/jNTdIah8iN
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 18, 2021
Fair play Scotland, them tribal games hit different. Billy Gilmour was basically Ngolo Kante 👏🏽
— Patrick van Aanholt (@pvanaanholt) June 18, 2021
That scramble in injury time was quite something. “It’s almost like a rugby match,” says John Collins as he watches it back. McTominay did very well to put his body in front of the ball to stop Mount getting anything resembling a clear shot.
Was that the moment for #ENG?
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2021
Goalmouth scramble... and #SCO survive... just 😱#ENGSCO | #ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/B0FY6zBd7N
Updated
“Good game,” writes our token Wales fan Matt Dony. “Enjoyed that, but we’re still none the wiser over deciding who’s the second best team in Britain.”
Gareth Southgate’s decision to substitute Harry Kane will lead to plenty of chatter. I don’t really mind it, as Kane was poor again, but replacing him with Marcus Rashford was a bit odd. He has many qualities, on the field too, but he’s the antonym of the kind of centre-forward you need against a deep-lying defence.
Scotland’s players are saluting the Tartan Army, celebrating as if they’ve won. Easy to sneer but this is a moral victory, and they also got the actual point they needed to set up a death-or-glory match against Croatia on Tuesday.
Updated
The England players trudge off, with plenty to think about. Some of their key players - Kane, Foden, Sterling - were poor. Scotland had some immense individual performances, particularly Marshall, O’Donnell, Tierney, Hanley, Gilmour, McGregor, Dykes, Adams, McTominay, Robertson and most of all the remarkable John McGinn.
Updated
Here’s a snap report: Dave Hytner’s full Wembley opus will follow soon.
Full time: England 0-0 Scotland
Peep peep! Scotland are still in the tournament thanks to the most honourable of draws. They were heroic, against a team miles above them in the world rankings, and fully deserved a point.
Updated
90+1 min James’ low cross leads to a Sunday-league scramble on the six-yard line, which seems to go on for an eternity until McGinn - of course it was him - boots the ball clear.
Updated
90 min There will be ... two minutes of added time.
88 min Flower of Scotland is being belted out by the Scotland fans. McGinn is treating himself for cramp; I’d love to see his running stats tonight.
87 min O’Donnell is booked for an, a-hem, old-fashioned tackle on Grealish near the halfway line.
86 min Another Scotland change: the young Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet replaces the superb Che Adams.
83 min We know all too well about Scotland’s relationship with glorious failure. If they concede now this will be yet another chapter, because their overall performance has been wonderful.
82 min Nothing comes of the corner.
82 min McGinn really is Glasgow’s finest Kante tribute act.
81 min Hanley makes a brilliant tackle on Rashford just outside the area and Scotland break. Eventually McGinn’s long-range shot deflects over the bar. I feared for McGinn after that early yellow card but he has been fifty shades of immense.
79 min Sterling appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty after a challenge from Robertson near the byline. VAR isn’t interested but that was pretty similar to the penalty given against David Alaba yesterday. Whether it should be a penalty is a different matter.
Updated
78 min: Chance for Adams! Oh, Scotland. Tierney’s cross from the left skims off the head of Stones and flies towards Adams beyond the far post. He launches into it on the half-volley but slices it well wide of the near post. It looked a much tougher chance on the replay.
Updated
76 min Scotland substitution: Stuart Armstrong comes on to replace Billy Gilmour, who faded a little in the second half but was sensational before the break.
75 min That’s a pretty brave decision from Gareth Southgate, which registers 5.7 on the LinekerSmithTaylorometer. Kane has done very little in both games, but he’s also scored hundreds of goals in his career. I can see both sides!
74 min Another England substitution: Marcus Rashford replaces... Harry Kane.
74 min Mount’s flicked pass deflects through to Shaw on the left of the area. He takes it down on his thigh but then smashes a cross shot miles wide.
73 min Grealish has been good since coming on, bringing an arrogance and composure in tight areas that Foden, at this stage, doesn’t have.
Updated
72 min Marcus Rashford is being readied, in the parlance of association football.
72 min “Seen it all before,” is the subject of Simon McMahon’s email. “I think we all know how this ends, eh, Rob?”
71 min If it stays like this, England will be effectively, but not officially, through to the last 16. Scotland would almost certainly need a win over Croatia in their final game.
70 min “For all the tradition, this is dreadful,” says Paul Pooley. “As a neutral, this game needs a goal. From anyone. Please.”
But it’s England v Scotland! (I’ve enjoyed it immensely, but I do know what you mean.)
69 min This is a good spell for England, with Scotland looking low on energy for the first time.
68 min Shaw curls a fine long pass over the top to Kane, who lays it back towards Grealish on the edge of the D. McTominay slides in to poke the ball away.
66 min Grealish’s first act is to win a corner off McTominay, who started nervously on his return to centre-back but has been superb in the last half an hour or so. The corner is cleared at the near post.
64 min: Jack Grealish is on! He replaces the disappointing Phil Foden. Grealish goes to the left, Raheem Sterling moves to the right.
Updated
62 min: James clears off the line from Dykes! This is pulsating stuff now. Robertson’s inswinging corner from the right ricochets towards Dykes, whose hooked shot beats Pickford and is headed off the line by James! It might have been going wide but James didn’t know that. He did brilliantly to run back towards goal and head it away.
Updated
62 min Mings takes a cross off Dykes’ head, nodding it behind for a Scotland corner.
61 min An incredible long pass from Pickford (if he meant it) falls kindly for Sterling 20 yards from goal. He is tackled by Hanley and then Robertson (or Tierney) makes an important challenge on Foden.
60 min Mount wins another corner off McTominay. Scotland’s three centre-backs have worked incredibly hard in the last 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is getting ready to come on.
59 min Kane twists away from two defenders on the edge of the area and hits a low left-footed shot that is heroically blocked by Hanley. But the pressure is building...
58 min “Billy Gilmour is not ‘perhaps Glasgow’s only Xavi tribute act’,” says Matt Vallance. “Wee Billy comes from Ardrossan, in God’s County of Ayrshire - about 40 miles from Glasgow. We are a much bigger country, where football is played outwith Glasgow.”
Ach, what a moron I am – sorry. Why did I think he was born in Glasgow? It’s because Chelsea got him from Rangers, isn’t it. As a proud Orcadian I’m mildly disgusted with my ignorance. But I suppose we can say with a degree of confidence that he is Ardrossan’s only Xavi tribute act.
57 min: Chance for Adams! Now Scotland almost take the lead. Dykes moves infield from the right and hits a 20-yard shot that is blocked by a combination of Adams and Stones. The ball falls to Adams, near the penalty spot, but he can’t find the angle for an immediate shot. He turns back, looking for support, and then hits a shot on the turn that is blocked by Stones. Credit where it’s due, Stones did brilliantly there.
55 min: Chance for James! Kane, on the left, looks up and plays a very good medium-range pass into James on the edge of the area. He gets the ball out of his feet but then spanks it over.
Updated
54 min England have been slightly livelier since the break, but Scotland still look relatively comfortable. It’s surely time for Grealish, or Sancho, or Rashford.
51 min Adams turns on the halfway line and plays a fine pass out to the marauding Robertson. His low cross towards Dykes, not entirely convincing by his stratospheric standards, is cleared at the near post. Che Adams has had an excellent game.
Updated
51 min “I might be watching this through low-cal reduced sugar shandy glasses but if England showed a little less respect and more oomph they could surely cause Scotland way more problems,” says Ian Copestake. “Like any relationship this looks like an invitation to create unnecessary drama.”
50 min There’s a decent roar as Jack Grealish appears on the big screen, prompting him to break into a smile. I think he’ll be on soon.
48 min Sterling’s low cross is taken off Foden’s toe by Robertson in the six-yard box, then Mount whistles a shot that is pushed round the post by the diving Marshall. That almost went through Marshall at the near post. It was a very sweet strike, in Marshall’s defence, and in view of the conditions I’m surprised more players haven’t had a pop from 20-25 yards.
47 min Mount’s corner is headed away at the near post by the increasingly impessive Tierney.
46 min A fast start from England. Sterling slides a superb pass into the underlapping Shaw, whose low cross towards Kane is put behind by Tierney.
46 min Peep peep! England begin the second half. It’s still pouring down, since you asked.
Thanks for all your emails by the way. I’m trying and failing to read them all. It’s not my fault, the man upstairs only gave me two eyes!
“Hmmm it’s not a world-beating display from England is it?” says Rachel Clifton, who shares a specialist subject with Sybil Fawlty. “At least I managed to find a pub that put the commentary on (English manager) and the weather is super.”
It won’t matter if they win. The first half was so similar in 1996 but nobody remembers that.
“Evening Rob,” says Stephen Carr. “It’s a game of sub-plots: Mount v Gilmour has been a smashing watch but Kane’s visible deterioration is a bit sad.”
I can’t work him out. There are times when he looks, as Andrew Hurley said, like an old man. But he also scored/made a gazillion goals last season. Maybe he’s becoming like late-period Shearer – still hugely effective against all bar the best teams.
Mount v Gilmour has been fascinating, a bit like watching best friends who secretly loathe each other.
“Perhaps a bit late to come in here, but for me it was clearly cheers
when the players took the knee,” says Colin McKenzie. “Perhaps they have some kind of boo filter on French TV.”
It’s fake boos!
The STV panel of David Moyes and John Collins are raving about the performance of Billy Gilmour. He is incredible, Glasgow’s finest Xavi tribute act, and possibly its only one.
At Euro 96, after a pretty similiar first half, Terry Venables made a proactive change and brought on Jamie Redknapp for Stuart Pearce. Gareth Southgate, who was part of the consequent reshuffle, must be tempted by something similar. Mason Mount is the only one of the front five who had a good first half.
Half-time reading
Or, if you prefer, I can give you my PayPal details.
Half time: England 0-0 Scotland
Peep peep! The referee blows after one second of added time. It’s been a tight, tense game so far, with Scotland probably just shading it. They certainly have the best player on the pitch; Billy Gilmour is also the youngest.
Both teams had one big chance. John Stones hit the post early on for England; Stephen O’Donnell drew a superb save from Jordan Pickford.
45+1 min “This can’t be doing Kane’s transfer fee any good,” says Paul Griffin. “Someone just easily ambled past him as he was chasing a ball. And he was a steward.”
45 min Nothing comes of the corner.
44 min Scotland keep the ball for over minute, with Gilmour involved all the while. I’m slightly in awe of this kid’s temperament, never mind his talent. Eventually Adams cracks a long-range shot that hits Mings and goes behind for a corner.
Updated
42 min This isn’t news, but Billy Gilmour is a class act. He’s played two or three terrific passes, dozens of effective ones and is always offering to take the ball in tight areas. He’s 20 years old and this is his full international debut.
41 min “Kane is moving like an old man,” says Andrew Hurley. “And why are England so afraid that they play so many defensive players?”
If I kill you, I’ll have to tell you.
40 min “Hi Rob, and thanks to Matt for his concern, but I only ever drink when Scotland win a match at a major tournament finals,” says Simon McMahon. “So three in my (legal drinking age) lifetime, the last being in 1996. A big weekend that, though. It’s lasted 25 years.”
I’m very impressed that your weekends start on a Tuesday night. And that they go on for 25 years.
39 min Corner to Scotland on the left. Gilmour’s inswinging is punched away by Pickford, an effective if not entirely convincing intervention.
36 min Foden is unhappy with some of the tackles on him and has complained to the referee a few times.
Updated
35 min England have had 65 per cent possession, but both teams have had the same number of shots at goal (4) and on target (1).
34 min Mount’s imaginative pass into the area is miscontrolled on the stretch by Sterling. That was half a chance. Mount and Sterling have combined beautifully at times in this tournament.
Updated
32 min Kane plunges his studs into McGinn’s leg in his follow through. It wasn’t deliberate, and there were no complaints, but in the Premier League that would probably have led to a 12-minute VAR review.
31 min “At least Scotland will be spared any humiliating Schickhousery today,” says Peter Oh.
30 min: Fine save from Pickford! Brilliant play from Scotland. Robertson plays in the overlapping Tierney, who twists back inside James and floats a right-footed cross to the far post. O’Donnell waits and waits for it to drop and then cracks an excellent volley through the legs of Shaw. Pickford, who must see it late, gets down really smartly to his right to push it away, and Adams puts the rebound over the bar. It wasn’t much of a chance for Adams, because he had no reaction time. But it was a lovely strike from O’Donnell and an extremely good save.
Updated
29 min The diving Kane heads wide from James’s cross. He was flagged offside after the event but I’m not sure he was. It was a difficult chance, with the ball zipping off the wet turf. Kane threw himself at the ball but it was always just too far in front for him to keep the header on target.
Updated
27 min Steve Clarke must be pretty happy with how this is going, though he’d like Robertson and Tierney to be more involved in attack. It’s not dissimilar to the bitty first half when these two met at Euro 96. Maybe Jack Grealish will play Jamie Redknapp. But who will be Uri Geller?
26 min “3am start in Singapore,” says Michiel Denie. “Sipping some fine Scotch and hoping they’ll pull off a miracle. Nothing against the English but who doesn’t love an underdog?”
25 min The irrepressible Mount has been England’s most vibrant attacker so far. Foden and Kane have been fairly quiet.
23 min Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour are having a terrific, aggressive battle in midfield. Every time one of them gets the ball, the other is straight up in their face.
22 min Gilmour’s free-kick leads to a short game of head tennis before Stones heads clear. Tierney picks up the loose ball and shoots wide from 30 yards.
21 min Stones takes a ride on the back of Dykes and is penalised. Free-kick to Scotland 35 yards from goal on the left wing.
20 min Mount’s corner is headed away by McGinn.
19 min England are starting to dominate. Mount’s cutback is blocked by McTominay and goes behind for another corner.
18 min Foden shoots just wide from the edge of the area, though it wouldn’t have counted as he was offside and then accidentally controlled the ball with his hand.
17 min We’ve just seen a replay of the Stones chance. It was a majestic leap, but I think he was up a fraction too early and that meant he had to wait a split-second for the ball to come to him.
Updated
17 min “5am start here in Sydney,” says Sean Boiling. “Have you got a spare coffee going?”
Coffee he says.
15 min McGinn is booked for dissent after a foul is given against Dykes. That’s a huge blow for Scotland given McGinn’s ankle-biting role in the team.
Updated
14 min “Has anyone checked on Simon McMahon?” says Matt Dony. “I fear for his liver.”
13 min England are turning up the heat. McTominay loses the ball in a dangerous area to Sterling. He moves into the box from the left, teases McTominay and then slides a low cross that is pushed wide of the near post by Mount. That was a chance too, though it came at Mount very quickly and he didn’t have time to adjust his feet. Stones’ was the best opportunity.
Updated
11 min: Stones hits the post! Mount’s outswinging corner is met by the unmarked Stones, who thumps a header off the inside of the near post! I think it was Dykes who was supposed to be marking Stones, but he lost him and was very lucky not to be punished.
Updated
11 min England move the ball across the face of the area until Mount curls a shot that is deflected behind for England’s first corner.
9 min England haven’t really got going yet, save a couple of decent surges off the ball from Kalvin Phillips.
Updated
8 min Now Phillips is penalised for blocking McGinn on the left wing. The free-kick is 30 yards from goal, slightly in from th touchline. It’s curled in by Robertson and headed away well by Mings.
Updated
7 min Kane is put on the canvas by McGinn, which gives England a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Mount’s ball in is helped on by the off-balance Rice and runs through to Marshall.
5 min Gilmour has made a busy start, with and without the ball. He doesn’t look remotely overawed.
4 min: Early chance for Scotland! John Stones makes a vital block from Che Adams. Scotland worked it well down the right, with Gilmour and McGinn combining to find O’Donnell. He cut the ball back sharply to Adams, whose first-time shot across goal was blocked by Stones on the six-yard line. I think that was going in.
Updated
2 min England’s formation is as expected, the same 4-1-4-1/4-1-2-3 they played on Sunday. Scotland’s looks closer to 3-4-1-2, with McGinn just ahead of McGregor and Gilmour, presumably to lead the press.
2 min McGinn nicks the ball off Sterling, the first of an expected 471 interceptions tonight.
1 min Peep peep! Scotland kick off from left to right.
Before the game, both teams will take a knee. It’s so noisy that I honestly can’t make it whether there were boos or not. It certainly wasn’t the dominant sound.
Updated
It’s time for the latest chapter in a story that began 149 years ago
The Scotland anthem is roundly booed. A close up of the Scotland players shows a) that it really is lashing down at Wembley and b) Andy Robertson is seriously on one.
The players stroll into the north London rain. Most look relaxed, though Andy Robertson’s face is a picture of mildly terrifying focus. This is it: ENGLAND v SCOTLAND!
“Of course the Scots want to win but if Clarke’s squad are competitive he keeps his job,” says Mary Waltz. “A draw will be seen as a win. On the flip side, if Southgate doesn’t win and win with style, the wolves will be hot on his trail. Grealish, a fantastic player no doubt, is being raised to Pele-like levels and if England don’t win he will be the hottest hashtag on the net. Southgate is on the griddle.”
“Interesting that Gareth’s persisting with the same front three,” says Tom Bradstreet. “For all the Grealish chat - and he is a wonderful footballer - I might have gone with Sancho. Pace on both wings gives Scotland’s wing-backs more to think about, and allows Kane to drop into the hole if he’s not getting any joy up top. Scotland’s lineup looks much more of a proposition now that Tierney’s back, Adams starts, and Gilmour makes his bow. This. Is. On.”
I suppose what it shows more than anything is how good England’s options are. The last time they played Scotland, that madcap 2-2 draw in 2017, the front six was Dier, Livermore, Rashford, Alli, Lallana and Kane.
Updated
I’m off to grab a coffee. See you in 10 minutes for the big yin: England v Scotland.
Let's go inside the #ENG camp 🔎
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2021
Here's @_DeclanRice on...
◾️ The biggest night of his career
◾️ The strengths #SCO possess
◾️ How @England will approach the game
🎤 @GabrielClarke05#ENGSCO | #ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/Jk449A60ZI
“Deeply naive of Alex Monro to expect tactics here,” says Ian Copestake. “This is about more than formations and occupying half-spaces with a pivot. This is about taking back control, playing for the shirt, announcing an arrival and establishing a marker. Should be horrendous.”
The pre-match thoughts of Steve Clarke
“I hope we put on a good performance and get a result, because we want to stay involved in the tournament as long as possible. Billy [Gilmour] likes to get on the ball and make his team play - he’s done it for Chelsea and I’m sure he can do it for Scotland as well.
“Playing two strikers here is brave. We’ve got the three central defenders at the other end, so it’s a bit of mix and match. We’ll try to cause England as many problems as we can. I want us to play with fire in our bellies and ice in our brains. England are one of the favourites for the tournament - we respect them, but we don’t fear them.”
Updated
“I wanted to see what the team selections would mean tactically, so I googled ‘England Scotland formation’,” says Alex Monro. “It came back with results about 1707. No escaping the history and politics in this one.”
It’s a good thing Steve Clarke didn’t pick Mary, Queen of Scots, or those google searches would have been even more confusing.
“It’s weird to think that, if McAllister had scored his penalty, this would’ve been the big song of Euro 96,” writes Craig Sinclair. “Warning: some industrial lyrics.”
The word ‘industrial’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. I was always surprised this slightly more wholesome offering didn’t take off.
This song, meanwhile, has aged beautifully.
Forty minutes to kick off and the atmosphere is building. There will be 22,500 fans at Wembley tonight, plus half the population of Scotland outside the stadium.
Tonight’s most pressing question
Has anyone won the big cash prize yet?
It finished Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic in the other game. That means... actually I have no idea what it means, but we should have a better idea by 10pm.
“Hi Rob,” says Stephen Davenport. “I’m not sure that I’d trust Nicola Sturgeon on meteorological matters. ‘Even the weather in London is Scottish today’, she says. Because, of course, it never rains in England. And I’m no meteorologist (actually I am literally a meteorologist) but 14 degrees would seem a bit balmy for a rainy Scottish day.”
Maybe she just wanted a nice round of golf tonight.
The teams in probable formation
England (4-1-2-3) Pickford; James, Stones, Mings, Shaw; Rice; Phillips, Mount; Foden, Kane, Sterling.
Substitutes: Maguire, Chilwell, Grealish, J Henderson, Rashford, Trippier, Ramsdale, Coady, Sancho, Calvert-Lewin, Johnstone, Bellingham.
Scotland (3-4-1-2) Marshall; McTominay, Hanley, Tierney; O’Donnell, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson; McGinn; Dykes, Adams.
Substitutes: Gordon, McLaughlin, Christie, Fleck, Cooper, Armstrong, Nisbet, Fraser, Patterson, Hendry, Forrest, McKenna.
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain).
Updated
So, England make two changes from the 1-0 win over Croatia, both at full-back. Reece James and Luke Shaw replace Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier. Harry Maguire returns to the bench, as do Jadon Sancho and Ben Chilwell. The three players omitted from the matchday squad are Walker, Ben White and Bukayo Saka. Let’s hope their teammates find time to rally round them over the next few days.
Scotland have made four changes from the team that lost to the Czech Republic on Monday. Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour, 20, makes his full international debut, while Che Adams, Callum McGregor and the fit again Kieran Tierney also come into the side. Liam Cooper, Jack Hendry, Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Christie miss out. It looks like Scott McTominay will move back into defence.
Updated
“Evening Rob, evening everybody,” says Guy Hornsby. “It’s a funny time when I feel so little jeopardy over a game with the auld enemy. And that’s no bolshy English exceptionalism, it’s just a reflection of the protagonists. But... we’ve been here before and really all anyone English will want is a win. If it’s 1-0 after 75 minutes, anything’s possible. It’s going to be a fiery opening 15, that’s for sure!”
The teams are in!
No Jack Grealish, but all the other rumours were true. Scotland have picked a pretty attacking side.
🚨 #ENG 🆚 #SCO TEAM NEWS! 🚨
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2021
◾️ James, Shaw in for @England
◾️ Tierney, Gilmour start for @ScotlandNT #ENGSCO | #ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/AQWI2CS4Qt
And now it’s over to Nicola Sturgeon for the weather
Even the weather in London is Scottish today 😉
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) June 18, 2021
Wishing the very best of luck to Steve and all of @ScotlandNT - here’s hoping we can raise the 🏴 over Wembley tonight. #ENGSCO #SCO pic.twitter.com/ybKY75yxx6
Updated
David Lacey > anyone who has ever written about football
Updated
It’s a mustn’t-lose game!
Updated
A few reliable folk are reporting that Billy Gilmour, Che Adams, Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor all start for Scotland. With that and the rumours that Jack Grealish is in the England team, my neutral mouth is well and truly watered.
This match isn’t the only Big Sport of the night. Long-suffering Scotland fan Scott Murray is practicing avoidance behaviour covering the golf at Torrey Pines.
Here’s today’s Fiver, which may or may include observations that were subsequently recycled for tonight’s preamble
These players have a level of humility that is really important. We pride ourselves on it. We have got to have confidence. We can’t be shrinking violets going into an experience like this one, so we’ve got to be prepared and not undersell the event.
Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic The other game in this group is taking place as we type/read, and Ivan Perisic has just equalised for Croatia with a banger.
Team news Nothing official yet, though there are rumours that Luke Shaw, Reece James and Jack Grealish will start for England. No news on whether Steve Clarke will do the right thing and pick Billy Gilmour in the Scotland midfield.
Updated
Preamble
Take the best Friday feeling you’ve ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you’re still nowhere near it: England v Scotland in the European Championship, at Wembley, on a Friday night. When the draw was made in November 2019, few of us twigged that England v Path C play-off winners (Wembley) would be such a big deal. It could have been England v Norway, England v Serbia or England v Israel.
Instead it’s England v Scotland, the oldest fixture in international football. The pre-match buzz is electric but also a peedie bit peculiar – the anticipation is as much about the occasion and the history as the actual football. Rightly or wrongly, reasonably or arrogantly, consciously or unconsciously, most people think England will win this match fairly comfortably. That’s rarely the case before such a blockbusting match.
Then again, that’s one of the reasons this fixture has a unique appeal. It’s part historical conflict, part Hogmanay piss-up, part FA Cup third-round tie. Scotland are 9/1 to win, 4/1 to draw - but then the greater the odds, the bigger the opportunity. While England are playing for three points, Scotland are playing for three points and two counts of immortality: a win at Wembley and a giant step towards reaching the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time.
The Tartan Army have arrived en masse, having misread the 20:00 kick-off time as an official Uefa request to provide 20,000 of their most determined pleasure-seekers. The mood is great, the weather is crap, the stage is set. May the best team win!
Kick off 8pm.
Updated
