- Scotland fans enjoyed their final Euro 2024 qualifying match despite Norway’s equaliser
- This was the first chance for Scotland’s supporters to properly cheer for qualification
- Chris Sutton is stunned by Ian Ladyman’s England Euro XI: It all comes to the surface
“Scotland is having a party and Haaland is in his bed,” the Tartan Army sang. And even a late Norwegian equalizer could not stop the supporters from celebrating until Sunday evening.
After all, this was their first chance to cheer Scotland’s qualification for Euro 2024, with the team’s place in Germany confirmed last month by Spain’s victory over Norway.
Steve Clarke was desperate to complete a memorable season for his team with victory over a team missing injured Premier League superstars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
And while they didn’t quite succeed, extending their winless run in all competitions to five games, it made little difference to the fans who will be booking their flights to Germany after the draw on December 2.
No doubt those Scotland supporters will be a great addition to next summer’s spectacle – and it is manager Clarke who has made them fall in love with their football team again.
Scotland’s supporters relished the occasion as their team drew 3-3 at home to Norway
Scotland’s players cheered on the fans at the end of a successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign
Steve Clarke wanted Scotland to finish with a win, but they fell just short
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When Clarke took charge of his first match against Cyprus in June 2019, only 30,000 fans showed up. But on Sunday evening, Glasgow’s stadium was sold out for the seventh game in a row. When another 5,000 tickets went on sale last Friday, they were sold out within half an hour.
As their heroes took to the field for fireworks on Sunday evening, Scotland fans held up cards to create the giant ‘We’re coming’ message, complete with the German flag.
Serious questions need to be asked about why Norway, with Haaland and Odegaard in their ranks, won’t be there. You have to go way back to Euro 2000, the last time they reached a tournament.
In this campaign, their 2-1 home defeat to Scotland – who scored twice in the last three minutes – proved a fatal blow. But Stale Solbakken’s men were out to make things right in Glasgow, even without their star men.
It took them just three minutes to dampen the festive mood at Hampden when Toulouse striker Aron Donnum collected a loose ball in the penalty area and curled in from the left post.
Yet the home side leveled ten minutes later thanks to substitute John McGinn’s coolly taken penalty, after Callum McGregor’s shot was blocked by the hand of goalscorer Donnum.
Scotland’s players celebrate after Stuart Armstrong’s goal gave them the lead against Norway
The Scotland players are now looking forward to taking part in next year’s tournament
Norway regained the lead in the 20th minute when Jorgen Strand Larsen – on his home debut – bundled the ball past Scotland keeper Zander Clark after a deflected cross from Julian Ryerson.
But Scotland were back on track thanks to Leo Ostigard’s 33rd minute own goal after Kenny McLean had touched Scott McTominay’s corner.
They had Nathan Patterson to thank for going into the break full after his heroic block from Donnum’s close-range strike.
And they were in front for the first time 14 minutes after the restart, when McGinn pulled back to Armstrong, whose fine finish found the bottom left corner through a bundle of bodies.
There would be a final twist, as four minutes before the end, Mohamed Elyounoussi headed into Norway. Not that the Scotland fans really cared. They were having a party – and Haaland was in his bed.