COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) – The Euro 2024 format which allows four third-placed teams to progress is often criticised but Scotland and Switzerland will be grateful for that option after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday that left both well in the hunt going into their final group games.
Switzerland, who beat Hungary in their opener, are almost certain to progress with four points in the bag, though with their last game against already-through Germany, it could well be as a third-placed team.
Scotland, who have never gone beyond the group stage in 11 previous major championships, now have a glorious opportunity to end the drought by beating Hungary in their final game.
Hungary, after two defeats, could still snatch a spot as teams routinely advance with three points, but the Scots would surely have taken that scenario had they been offered it and certainly would have as they trooped off after barely throwing a punch in their 5-1 drubbing by Germany.
Scotland’s repeated failures on the big stage are scarcely believable – eight World Cups and now four Euros where they have managed a total of six wins from 34 matches. Their only Euro victories have come against CIS (Russia) in 1992 and Switzerland in 1996.
They might consider themselves unlucky not to have made it three in Cologne, having taken an early lead via a deflected Scott McTominay shot.
Switzerland were worth their spectacular long-range equaliser by Xherdan Shaqiri but the Scots showed remarkable commitment, hitting the post and having another shot cleared off the line in a series of late attacks.
MAGNIFICENT FANS
Their magnificent fans roared them to the line, recognising the effort, even if the technique was a notch below some of the bigger teams in the tournament.
So used to gallant failure, the fans seemed to take a while to wake up to the fact that it was their side pushing for the winner but eventually they did so with gusto.
The Tartan Army will march on Stuttgart on Sunday, with their “No Scotland, no Party” theme tune being sung for once with more belief than hope they will not be the first to leave it.
“That was a lot more like it, I’m a lot happier with our performance,” captain Andy Robinson said. “We probably could have scored another sure they would say the same, so we’ll take the draw into the last game.”
Switzerland seemed unsure whether to stick or twist. Four points after two games is a great outcome, and almost certainly enough for progress. Defeat against Germany, however, combined with a Scottish win, could see them go through in third place and into a tough round of 16 game against a group winner.
The Swiss have developed into canny tournament operators. They reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 and the last 16 in 2016, and emerged from their group in four of the last five World Cups.
A win over Scotland would have secured a top-two finish and they will point to two disallowed goals and their own missed opportunities in what developed into a real slug-fest.
The two coaches embraced warmly at the end, both sets of fans showed their appreciation, and the players will now prepare for a huge final game.
Maybe it is not such a bad format.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond)
