Hampden Park has become a home for stunning goals at Euro 2020, but sadly for Scotland they have always been on the receiving end of them.
Last week, it was Patrik Schick scoring from nearly 50 yards as the Czech Republic beat Steve Clarke’s side and this time it was Croatia’s Luka Modric doing the honours.
Modric’s strike was not from the same distance as Schick’s, but it was just as impressive as he curled the ball home with his right foot from the edge of the box.
It was a goal that helped secure a 3-1 win for Croatia and dumped Scotland out of Euro 2020, with their hopes of a first knockout appearance at a major tournament having to wait for another time.
Before Modric’s stunning goal just after the hour mark, Scottish fans had been dreaming of a memorable victory.
Both they and Croatia knew only a win would be good enough for them to reach the last 16 and consequently it was an open game.
Hampden Park was in full voice too, with the national anthem belted out with such gusto you’d have sworn the stadium was full instead of only 12,000 being in.
Scotland came flying out the blocks too and John McGinn and Che Adams both went close in the opening 10 minutes.
It was Croatia, however, who took the lead after 17 minutes when Nikola Vlasic got on the end of Ivan Perisic’s knockdown to fire home.
The goal sparked Croatia into life and for the next 20 minutes or so they looked like doubling their lead.
But Scotland refused to lie down and just before half-time they got the goal that made their fans believe again. Croatia struggled to clear their lines and, when the ball fell to Callum McGregor on the edge of the box, he arrowed it into the bottom corner.
The belief was back and after the break Scotland continue to press, with McGinn inches away from knocking in Stuart Armstrong’s cross.
The Aston Villa midfielder, however, could only skew the ball wide and within minutes of that Modric dealt the killer blow.
It was a moment of real quality, and one you’d expect from a former Ballon d’Or winner, as he curled the ball superbly with the outside of his right boot into the top corner.
That took the wind out of Hampden Park and, 15 minutes later, it was well and truly silenced as Perisic made it 3-1.
Modric was once again at the heart of it as he swung in a corner for the winger to head home and break Scotland hearts once and for all.
