Category News

World Cup qualifying: Scotland v Belarus

Venue: Hampden, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 12 October Time: 17:00 BST

Scotland could be guaranteed a World Cup play-off by the time we go to bed on Sunday. Or they could be clear in their qualifying group with two games to play.

OK, OK, we hear you telling us to slow things down – but it is a realistic proposition.

Why? Well, Scotland’s astonishing pickpocketing of Greece on Thursday means they welcome pointless Belarus to Hampden on Sunday knowing a win will give them 10 points from four qualifiers.

At the same time, the desperate Greeks will be in Denmark trying to salvage their own hopes.

Defeat in Glasgow cut their potential maximum points total to 12. They now travel to Copenhagen to face a side who swept them aside 3-0 in Athens in September.

If they lose – and Scotland get the job done – Greece are done in Group C. Unable to catch the top two. Consigned to third place.

Denmark would be level with Scotland on 10 points but ahead on goal difference, leaving the two to battle it out for top spot in November.

But should the Greeks draw or win, they would stay alive while allowing Steve Clarke’s side to leap over the Danes into top spot in the section.

It is possible but extremely unlikely, especially when you consider Denmark are already on seven points and have two home games – including one against Belarus – to play.

Scotland, meanwhile, have to go to Greece – albeit to face a side with nothing but pride on the line – before the Danes come to Hampden in the finale.

We can use the Champions League as a case study to determine what 10 points might get you. Uefa’s premier club competition had the same four-team, six-game format until last season.

A look at all eight sections across the 2023-24 campaign shows 10 points would have been enough to guarantee top spot in just three of those groups.

Given the goal difference disparity already – Denmark are already five goals better off – Scotland’s fate might well lie in a play-off.

Second in the group still offers a route to the finals, with the 12 runners-up – plus the four best Nations League group winners who failed to finish in the top two of their sections – drawn into four play-off paths.

Each of those will have two one-legged semi-finals – with the seeded team at home – before a final.

Here are the teams currently in second spot in the sections:

The BBC contract announced in March is part of a wider deal that also includes matches involving Northern Ireland and Wales.

It included 14 live Scotland matches, the first of which was the first leg of the Nations League play-off in Greece in March.

Coverage of Scotland’s qualifiers for the World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico continues on Thursday when the Greeks return to Glasgow.

The match will be shown live on BBC Scotland, iPlayer and online, with coverage beginning at 19:30 BST.

The BBC will also show Sunday’s match at Hampden against Belarus.

There will be full live Sportsound commentary of both qualifiers on BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Nan Gaidheal and BBC Sounds. Sunday’s match is also on BBC Radio 5 Live.

And there will be full live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, including as-live goal clips and all the best punditry and analysis, as well as the chance for fans to have their say.

“The stadium was silent. Silent. We never got any energy back from the stands.”

England boss Thomas Tuchel reflected on his frustration at the Wembley support for his side after they scored three times in 20 minutes in their dominant 3-0 friendly win over Wales.

Goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka put the hosts in control, but they could not build on that in a flat second half, where the home crowd was quieter than the visitors.

On whether he expected more from the England fans, Tuchel replied: “Yes. What more can you give them? Twenty minutes, three goals. The way we attacked Wales and we didn’t let them escape.

“If you hear for half an hour [it was] just Wales fans. It’s a bit sad because I think the team deserved big support.”

The 52-year-old has won six of his seven games since taking charge of England in January, with his sole defeat coming in a friendly against Senegal.

Tuchel has worked with his players across three full camps and the Three Lions have now scored eight goals in their past two matches after thrashing Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier last month.

Speaking later in his post-match news conference, he added: “I love English football and I love English football fans and the support they give, but I think the atmosphere did not match the performance on the field.

“We had excellent support in Serbia, but [here] we were 3-0 up after 20 minutes, we had ball win after ball win after ball win and I felt like why is the roof still on the stadium? That’s just it, it’s nothing big.

Former England defender Stephen Warnock, who was part of the BBC Radio 5 Live commentary team, understood Tuchel’s concern and felt the home supporters needed to stay committed behind the team.

“We’re in a booth so we can’t gauge the atmosphere, but it was mentioned on our commentary about the atmosphere a few times how good the Wales fans were,” he said. “To be honest with you, you have to agree if that’s what he’s feeling.

“The performance warranted a good response from the fans. It’s disappointing he’s felt that.”

However, he felt Tuchel would still retain the backing of the England supporters.

Warnock added: “Is this a negative? It depends on how you interpret it as a fan. Whether you take it the wrong way or whether you think you can do more and back the team more. It’s very difficult in international football, obviously,

“Maybe there needs to be more done behind the scenes to be able to create pockets of fan groups together where you can actually start the atmosphere going and get the songs going.

“But if it was me and I was sitting in the stands and that comment was made, I’d be thinking about what more I could do to help the team. Fans do help you and they do give you that energy.

Don: Tuchel’s comments about Wembley are valid but misunderstood. Football fans don’t come to Wembley to see the national team; we’re not the target market sadly. The tickets are marketed at tourists, families with kids and casual fans. Not noise makers!

Ben: To Tuchel, you probably didn’t hear more from the fans because the second half was boring.

Dom: I can totally see what Tuchel means, Wembley never a great atmosphere, England fans brilliant on away days and major tournaments, and even in stadiums around the country. Wembley just doesn’t lend itself to good atmosphere at England games, been the same for a long time.

Jon: Maybe it’s time more games came to regional stadiums. I went with my son to the Macedonia game a while back and the atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric.

John: Tuchel should remember how “brilliant” England played against Senegal and against some of the lesser lights before criticising the England fans. Big mistake making him coach of England in my view. Uninspiring second half.

Luke: Tuchel needs to chill out about the atmosphere, it’s only a friendly where the game was won at half-time. He’s in danger of alienating the fans going after them like that.

“The stadium was silent. Silent. We never got any energy back from the stands.”

England boss Thomas Tuchel reflected on his frustration at the Wembley support for his side after they scored three times in 20 minutes in their dominant 3-0 friendly win over Wales.

Goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka put the hosts in control, but they could not build on that in a flat second half, where the home crowd was quieter than the visitors.

On whether he expected more from the England fans, Tuchel replied: “Yes. What more can you give them? Twenty minutes, three goals. The way we attacked Wales and we didn’t let them escape.

“If you hear for half an hour [it was] just Wales fans. It’s a bit sad because I think the team deserved big support.”

The 52-year-old has won six of his seven games since taking charge of England in January, with his sole defeat coming in a friendly against Senegal.

Tuchel has worked with his players across three full camps and the Three Lions have now scored eight goals in their past two matches after thrashing Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier last month.

Speaking later in his post-match news conference, he added: “I love English football and I love English football fans and the support they give, but I think the atmosphere did not match the performance on the field.

“We had excellent support in Serbia, but [here] we were 3-0 up after 20 minutes, we had ball win after ball win after ball win and I felt like why is the roof still on the stadium? That’s just it, it’s nothing big.

Former England defender Stephen Warnock, who was part of the BBC Radio 5 Live commentary team, understood Tuchel’s concern and felt the home supporters needed to stay committed behind the team.

“We’re in a booth so we can’t gauge the atmosphere, but it was mentioned on our commentary about the atmosphere a few times how good the Wales fans were,” he said. “To be honest with you, you have to agree if that’s what he’s feeling.

“The performance warranted a good response from the fans. It’s disappointing he’s felt that.”

However, he felt Tuchel would still retain the backing of the England supporters.

Warnock added: “Is this a negative? It depends on how you interpret it as a fan. Whether you take it the wrong way or whether you think you can do more and back the team more. It’s very difficult in international football, obviously,

“Maybe there needs to be more done behind the scenes to be able to create pockets of fan groups together where you can actually start the atmosphere going and get the songs going.

“But if it was me and I was sitting in the stands and that comment was made, I’d be thinking about what more I could do to help the team. Fans do help you and they do give you that energy.

Don: Tuchel’s comments about Wembley are valid but misunderstood. Football fans don’t come to Wembley to see the national team; we’re not the target market sadly. The tickets are marketed at tourists, families with kids and casual fans. Not noise makers!

Ben: To Tuchel, you probably didn’t hear more from the fans because the second half was boring.

Dom: I can totally see what Tuchel means, Wembley never a great atmosphere, England fans brilliant on away days and major tournaments, and even in stadiums around the country. Wembley just doesn’t lend itself to good atmosphere at England games, been the same for a long time.

Jon: Maybe it’s time more games came to regional stadiums. I went with my son to the Macedonia game a while back and the atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric.

John: Tuchel should remember how “brilliant” England played against Senegal and against some of the lesser lights before criticising the England fans. Big mistake making him coach of England in my view. Uninspiring second half.

Luke: Tuchel needs to chill out about the atmosphere, it’s only a friendly where the game was won at half-time. He’s in danger of alienating the fans going after them like that.

Luke Littler fired a 170 checkout to clinch victory over defending champion Mike de Decker and reach the quarter-finals of the “brutal” World Grand Prix.

Littler, 18, averaged 98.95 to win the opening set before capitalising on the Belgian’s double-start struggles to take a 2-0 lead.

And world champion Littler cruised through the third set without dropping a leg – finishing with a flourish by taking out 170 – to wrap up a comfortable win.

The Englishman will now face Wales’ Gerwyn Price for a place in the semi-finals at the Mattioli Arena.

“I said to myself ‘let’s leave with a big one’,” Littler told Sky Sports.

“Mike definitely didn’t play his best, so I had to jump on it and lead early.

“I am hitting the double 20 and as a player you can feel that nine-darter coming. Hopefully, we can have a go next round.

“This tournament is brutal. We have seen some shocks this year but I had to do my job.”

Price, the 2020 winner and seventh seed, got the better of Josh Rock 3-0 while averaging 92.46 and hitting four 180s.

Thursday’s World Grand Prix results:

Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-0 Daryl Gurney

Jonny Clayton 3-1 Luke Woodhouse

Luke Littler 3-0 Mike de Decker

Gerwyn Price 3-0 Josh Rock

Friday’s matches:

Danny Noppert v Gary Anderson

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Jonny Clayton

Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies

Luke Littler fired a 170 checkout to clinch victory over defending champion Mike de Decker and reach the quarter-finals of the “brutal” World Grand Prix.

Littler, 18, averaged 98.95 to win the opening set before capitalising on the Belgian’s double-start struggles to take a 2-0 lead.

And world champion Littler cruised through the third set without dropping a leg – finishing with a flourish by taking out 170 – to wrap up a comfortable win.

The Englishman will now face Wales’ Gerwyn Price for a place in the semi-finals at the Mattioli Arena.

“I said to myself ‘let’s leave with a big one’,” Littler told Sky Sports.

“Mike definitely didn’t play his best, so I had to jump on it and lead early.

“I am hitting the double 20 and as a player you can feel that nine-darter coming. Hopefully, we can have a go next round.

“This tournament is brutal. We have seen some shocks this year but I had to do my job.”

Price, the 2020 winner and seventh seed, got the better of Josh Rock 3-0 while averaging 92.46 and hitting four 180s.

Thursday’s World Grand Prix results:

Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-0 Daryl Gurney

Jonny Clayton 3-1 Luke Woodhouse

Luke Littler 3-0 Mike de Decker

Gerwyn Price 3-0 Josh Rock

Friday’s matches:

Danny Noppert v Gary Anderson

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Jonny Clayton

Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies