UEFA Nations League
Scotland v Israel
Friday, 4 September 2020, kick-off 7:45pm
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Scotland face Israel in the Nations League as international football returns for the first time in over nine months.

It is the third of five meetings between the two nations over a 25 month spell as Steve Clarke and his players prepare for a busy run of international matches in the remaining months of 2020.

Scotland notched three consecutive wins before the pandemic hit, bringing football to a dramatic halt.

While supporters across the country patiently wait for the moment they can set foot back in the National Stadium, all attention turns to a new campaign – starting against a very familiar opponent.

Previous meetings

The previous two meetings between Scotland and Israel led to one victory each in Group C1 of the Nations League.

Israel were 2-1 winners in Haifa back in October 2018. Charlie Mulgrew put the Scots in front from the penalty spot before the home side came from behind in dramatic fashion after Alex McLeish saw his side go down to ten men.

When Israel came to Hampden the following month, a win was needed to secure top spot in the Group and a spot in the EURO 2020 Play-Off semi-final.

A memorable night followed, with James Forrest’s hattrick and a stunning late save from Alan McGregor the standout moments from a 3-2 victory.

That win meant Scotland would face the very same opposition in the play-off semi-final, postponed from March 2020 and set to unfold at Hampden next month.

Team news

Lyndon Dykes could be in line to make his debut for Scotland following some stellar performances for Livingston and a move to English Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

Kieran Tierney returns to the international fold and could feature under Steve Clarke for the first time – Scott McTominay is back to after missing the last international break through injury.

Robby McCrorie joins David Marshall and Jon McLaughlin among Clarke’s goalkeeping options for the first time, stepping up from Scot Gemmill’s Under-21 side.

Pre-match thoughts

For young goalkeeper McCrorie, his chance in the Men's A squad is an opportunity he is grateful for and eager to take with both hands. 

McCrorie said: "It’s an amazing feeling. I love going away with the national team and I’m lucky that I’ve done it with the 15s all the way up to the 21s. This is my first time with the Men’s A squad like you said, so it’s another step up for me and is a really special moment."

While the EURO play-off fixture next month may be prominent in the minds of supporters, Steve Clarke is focused on Friday night’s opener in League B of the Nations League.

After a clash with Israel on Friday night, Scotland travel to take on Czech Republic and the manager believes it is crucial to build momentum before such a big match next month.

He said: “The fact we’ve got two games to look to try and get back to winning ways before the semi-final is important.

“Let’s not forget, we finished the last campaign reasonably well and I think it’s crucial that we can try and keep our momentum, so these two games coming up are really important.”

The 2020/21 Nations League Explained

The UEFA Nations League has a revised format for the 2020/21 edition. 

55 European Nations will compete across four leagues. Leagues A, B and C will all be made up of four groups of four teams, with League D made up of two groups - one with three teams and one with four. 

Teams are allocated to their leagues based upon their overall ranking following the 2018/19 inaugural Nations League - with Scotland joining League B following a successful League C campaign. 

Matches will take place home and away in September, October and November 2020, replacing friendly matches during that period. Teams in the same group can now play simultaneously on the last matchday. 

League B, C and D winners will gain promotion, those who finish bottom of A and B will be relegated while League C will be decided by play-outs to determine the two teams who will go down. 

Promotion and relegation will shape the lineup of the next competition and in June 2021, the four group winners of League A will contest the finals. 

The 2020/21 Nations League also offers two group winners a second chance to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup via the Play-Offs. 

Match Programme

Your digital matchday programme is now available to read online, including exclusive interviews with Robby McCrorie and Liam Cooper.

Click here to read

How to follow the match

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, kicking off at 7:45pm.

You can also receive live updates via the official @ScotlandNT Twitter account.