Key events
89 min The corner is headed away to Gauld on the edge of the area. He tries to lob it back towards Hanley at the far post but overhits it; goalkick to Poland.
88 min Robertson’s cross is headed behind by Puchacz for a corner…
87 min: Scotland substitution One last push. Stuart Armstrong replaces the superb Billy Gilmour, who looks shattered. His last contribution was to wheeze about 60 yards towards his own goal to make a crucial interception and thwart a dangerous break.
86 min A lovely cross from McGinn on the left is met by Christie, stooping in front of Walukiewicz at the far post, but it hits him on the shoulder rather than the head and bounces into the hands of Skorupski. That was Scotland’s best chance for a while, althorugh it was still relatively tricky.
84 min Robertson shoots wastefully over the bar from 20 yards with Scotland in a half-decent position.
82 min As things stand Scotland will go into Pot 3 for the World Cup qualification draw next month. There are no terrifying teams in to Pot 2 (famous last words) so, while it’s not ideal, it’s not a devastating blow.
81 min Maybe the substitutions have interrupted the flow of the game, or maybe the players who started are completely shattered. Either way, Scotland don’t look like scoring at the moment; nor do Poland in truth.
79 min Zielinski is booked, I didn’t see what for. Normally matches of this importance crescendo but the last 10 minutes have been the least eventful of the match.
76 min: Double substitution for Scotland Nicky Devlin and Ryan Gauld replace Anthony Ralston and the limping Scott McTominay.
76 min: Poland substitution Kacper Urbanski comes on for Karol Swiderski, who was dangerous but wayward.
74 min Nothing much has happened in the last few minutes, and the players who started the game are looking very tired. Scotland still have plenty to play for: if they win they will avoid automatic relegation and have a better chance (in theory) of qualifying for the World Cup.
GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Portugal (Gvardiol 65)
it’s off
70 min Christie is booked for a foul on Puchacz. He wasn’t on a yellow card… he is now!
69 min Robertson’s corner from the right is headed dangerously across goal towards Hanley. A Poland defender heads it up in the and Souttar, running beyond the near post, can’t twist his neck sufficiently to get his header back on target. Very difficult chance.
68 min A reminder that a draw is about as much use to Scotland as a marzipan di– chocolate teapot.
66 min: Double substitution for Scotland Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Christie come on for Lyndon Dykes and Ben Doak. Very surprised to see Doak come off.
66 min Buksa volleys over from beyond the far post. A very tight angle.
65 min: Brilliant save by Skorupski! Gilmour, on the right side of the area, teases a ross towards Dykes. There’s no pace on the ball but he strains his neck muscles to force the header as far across goal as possible. He does a pretty good job, too, but Skorupski springs dramatically to his left to make a terrific save.
63 min: Poland substitution Tymoteusz Puchacz replaces the impressive wing-back Jakub Kaminski. He’s only 22 and – you’re welcome, Brighton & Hove Albion – looks like one to watch.
61 min Zalewski’s shot is desperately blocked after a dangerous run infield from the right. This game is a rare old slugfest.
That’s an awesome strike from Piatkowski, as true as a dying man’s final words Scotlland struggled to clear a cross from the left and were unable to get out. Szymanski, on the edge of the area, played an inviting square pass to his right for the onrushing Piatkowski. He ran onto the ball and smashed a rising drive across Gordon and into the top corner. I doubt any goalkeeper in history would have saved that.
GOAL! Poland 1-1 Scotland (Piatkowski 59)
Kamil Piatkowski equalises with a heatseeker!
58 min Kaminski cuts inside from the left, gets into the area and backheels the ball to Szymanski. His precise cutback is crucially cut out by the stretching McLean. Poland have played some really neat football at times.
57 min A quiet few minutes, as if the two boxers are taking a round off to recharge for the final push.
55 min No chance this game ends 1-0. Both teams look really dangerous, particularly in transition.
53 min McTominay curls over from the edge of the box after another good Scotland break. Doak’s pass was slightly behind him.
51 min This game is being shown on YouTube on the official Scotland National Team channel. A colleague tells me they had the comments bar open to everyone for the first half, England fans included. You can imagine the level of sophisticated discourse that ensued. For the first 10 minutes the only topics of discussion were Ben Doak, the lyrics of Leonard Cohen and the Düsseldorf School of painting.
It’s now been switched to subscriber-only mode… which appears to be pretty much the same. Oh, Scotland National Team.
49 min: Chance for Scotland! This match is a belter. McGinn leads a break, gets a return pass from McGinn and angles a cross towards McTominay (I think), waiting in front of an open goal at the far post. Kiwior slides in at the near post to concede a corner. Another brilliant bit of defending, especially as he risked an own goal.
47 min: Off the line by Souttar! Scotland are living so dangerously. Kaminski beats Robertson a bit too easily with a stepover and sweeps a low shot across goal from about 12 yards. It beats Gordon but is blocked in the six-yard box by the sliding Souttar. Sensational defending!
46 min Peep peep! Scotland begin the second half. Poland have brought on Bartosz Slisz for Jakub Moder.
Half-time reading (Home Nations department)
Half time: Poland 0-1 Scotland
Kaminski flashes a curling shot just wide from the edge of the area. Gordon had it covered but it was a fine effort, one of many in a pulsating first half. John McGinn gave Scotland an early lead after great work from Billy Gilmour and Ben Doak, then Gilmour and Scott McTominay hit the woodwork. Despite that it was Poland who had the clearest chances in a ceaselessly entertaining half.
As it stands, with Portugal 1-0 up in Split, Scotland are one goal away from finishing second in the group.
45 min: Great tackle by Souttar! This is a cracking game. Poland slice through Scotland in the centre of the pitch, not for the first time, with Zalewski playing a superb pass between the lines to Szymanski. He quickly moves the ball to his left for Swiderski, whose early shot is brilliantly blocked by the lunging Souttar.
McTominay hits the post!
42 min Scotland have been terrific in the last 10 minutes. Doak plays in the underlapping Ralston, whose low cross is desperately cut out by a Poland defender in the six-yard box. McGinn eventually collects and lays the ball to McTominay on the edge of the area, right of centre. He takes a touch and whistles an almost nonchalant drive across goal that thumps off the post.
In fact, replays show it was a fantastic save by Skorupski, who dived low to his right to get a slight but decisive touch. Robertson’s follow up goes just wide as well.
41 min As things stand, Croatia are ahead of Scotland only on goals scored. Away goals no longer count in head-to-heads, which is why other tiebreakers need to be used. Croatia beat Scotland 2-1 in the first game, Scotland won 1-0 on Friday night.
While Scotland remain third in the group, it is truly, madly, deeply, undeniably, demonstrably, incontroveribly ON!!!
38 min Gordon makes another fine save, this time with his right foot, to keep out a low shot from Buksa. Scotland were suddenly exposed when Szymanski found space between the lines. He drew defenders towards him and teed up Buksa, whose shot was kicked behind by Gordon.
Goal given! Croatia 0-1 Portugal
37 min A replay of Gilmour’s shot suggests it took a slight deflection off a defender, which would explain the dramatic dip onto the crossbar.
VAR check: Croatia 0-1 Portugal There’s a never-ending VAR check going on in Split.
36 min Now it’s McTomigol’s turn to threaten. Doak curled a clever pass around Kiwior to find McTominay, who knocked the bouncing ball past Walukiewicz and pinged a low shot from 20 yards that was kicked away by Skorupski. Really good effort from McTominay, who had to take the short early with Piatkowski coming around.
