Scotland lose to Greece but handed a lifeline by Danes' draw with Belarus
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Scotland's Scott McTominay in action with Greece's Panagiotis Retsos.
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ATHENS – Scotland are one home win away from securing a place in next year's World Cup despite suffering a 3-2 defeat by Greece on Saturday, with Denmark's 2-2 draw with Belarus in the other Group C game offering a lifeline and setting up a blockbuster clash with the Danes on Tuesday.
Denmark top the group with 11 points after five games.
Scotland, who could not find an equaliser even though they clawed back from three goals down, are second with 10 points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.
While a first-place finish clinches an automatic spot in next year's finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Saturday's result guaranteed Scotland at least a qualifying playoff spot.
Already-eliminated Greece looked poised to hand their visitors a thorough thrashing with goals from Tasos Bakasetas, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis, but Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie pulled goals back to set up a breathtaking final few minutes.
After the final whistle blew, the Scottish players and staff peered at their phones for updates from the Belarus-Denmark match during an agonising final few minutes.
"That's what we wanted (to still have a chance of qualifying automatically)," Scotland captain Andy Robertson told the BBC.
"We cannot concede three goals, that's hugely disappointing. We had eight or nine really big chances so we got the attacking bit right tonight.
"Winner takes all on Tuesday, that's all we could ask for. People were writing us off from the start of the group now we've got a shoot-out to win the group and it's all to play for on Tuesday."
Bakasetas scored in the seventh minute in a nightmare start for Scotland. John Souttar misjudged a ball allowing Vangelis Pavlidis to take a shot that Craig Gordon saved, but Bakasetas was there to fire home the rebound.
Karetsas added a second goal in the 57th minute, and Tzolis fired in a third in the 63rd – and it seemed like the rout was on.
But Gannon-Doak breathed some hope into Steve Clarke's side in the 65th minute when John McGinn sent in a low cross that the 20-year-old finished from close range for his first Scotland goal.
Christie added a second five minutes later when he nodded home Robertson's gorgeous cross.
Scotland's "Tartan Army" fans in Athens also had their eyes on the other Group C game, and erupted into cheers when Belarus scored.
"Fans cheering (when we were) at 3-1 down was strange," Robertson added.
Scott McTominay was one of several Scottish players who squandered excellent chances. He fired a shot off the crossbar in the first half, and had a brilliant shot stopped by the lunging foot of Odysseas Vlachodimos late in the game.
"This group of players are a credit to themselves and their country because they didn't give up," Clarke told the BBC. "They got the goal back, got to 3-2 and had chances to get the equaliser.
"Some people might be happy with the improved performance but I'm disappointed with the result. We got a lucky break, Belarus got a result in Denmark and that gives us everything to play for on Tuesday.
"It's nice that (Belarus) have done us a favour." REUTERS
