UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier
Scotland v Norway
Sunday November 2023 (kick-off 7.45pm)
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Scotland head into their final fixture of 2023 aiming to end the year with a bang as they welcome third seeds Norway to Hampden Park.

After securing a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the dying stages in Georgia on Thursday night thanks to Lawrence Shankland’s second international goal, Steve Clarke’s side kept themselves in the hunt for first place in the group, though they know they now need Spain to lose at home to Georgia to stand any chance of doing so.

With qualification secured last month though, the Scotland supporters will be in the mood to party as they welcome their heroes to Hampden Park for the first time since qualification was confirmed last month.

Though the supporters will undoubtedly already have one eye on the UEFA EURO 2024 finals in Germany next summer, the Scotland squad will know they have a tough task in front of them, against a Norway side that will be looking to make amends for their defeat to Scotland in Oslo in June.

Previous Meetings

Scotland hold the advantage in head-to-head meetings between the nations, with 10 wins to Norway’s three since they first met, with the spoils shared on a further six occasions in that time.

The two sides first played nearly 100 years ago, a 7-3 victory for Scotland in Brann. The first meeting on Scottish soil did not take place until 25 years later, Scotland again the victors in a tighter affair, George Hamilton scoring the solitary goal at Hampden Park that day.

History is on Scotland’s side when it comes to matches played in Scotland, the home side winning three of the seven fixtures that have taken place here, with Norway only once coming away with victory.

The most recent meeting between the two nations earlier this year will live long in the memory of all Scotland supporters and will arguably go down as an all-time classic Scotland moment. In the searing June heat in Oslo, with temperatures above 30 degrees, Scotland staged a remarkable late comeback to overcome an Erling Haaland penalty.

First Lyndon Dykes pounced on a defensive mix-up to level the scores with three minutes of normal time remaining, before Kenny Mclean rounded off an incredible counterattack less than two minutes later to send the Scotland fans into ecstasy and secure a scarcely believable three points.

Team News

Scotland have no new injury concerns following their efforts in Georgia on Thursday night. Zander Clarke will be looking to add to his caps tally having been given his first start for Scotland in goals in Tbilisi, with regular number one Angus Gunn injured and Craig Gordon still a long-term absentee.

Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson will hope for his first competitive start having played a key role in Thursday night’s comeback as a half-time substitute.

Lawrence Shankland is another who will hope that his efforts in Tbilisi will have made the case for a starting position against Norway, his 88th minute header from fellow-substitute Stuart Armstrong’s cross securing Scotland’s first ever point in Georgia.

Pre-match thoughts 

Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor: “The games are always difficult but if you don't start well, you give yourself a bit of a mountain to climb.

“We have to be intense, try and win the ball back, play with aggression.

“There's all these little sub-plots. We want to try and finish as strongly as we can, if that means we jump into pot two then brilliant and that will give us a helping hand in the summer.

“He [Erling Haaland is] a top player. It's always good to test yourself against the best players. On the flip side of that, we want to win the game and if they're missing their top player and their talisman, that's good news as well.”

Where to watch

The match will be broadcast live on ViaPlay Sports 1.