STAR PREVIEW Weds: Scotland v Ukraine

Scotland will be hoping to take a big step towards reaching this year’s World Cup when they face Ukraine in a qualification play-off semi-final at Hampden Park on Wednesday evening.

This semi-final clash – which will decide who faces Wales in a one-on-one shoot-out for a World Cup spot – was set to happen in April before, for understandable reasons due to the current situation in Ukraine, the match was delayed and rescheduled for the start of June.

Steve Clarke ended years of hurt by finally ending Scotland’s run without featuring at a major tournament by guiding the Tartan Army to EURO 2020 and will now be hoping to build on that by qualifying the Scots for their first World Cup since 1998.

Clarke’s side were impressive in their group campaign; collating a very respectable 23 points from their 10 matches.

Andrew Robertson, who played 90 minutes in Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, hasn’t had much rest but is expected to start. However, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Jack are both definitely ruled out through injury.

Scotland v Ukraine
FIFA World Cup 2022 Play-Off Semi-Final
19:45 Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
OCT 2007 UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Scotland 3-1 Ukraine
OCT 2006 UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Ukraine 2-0 Scotland

Ukraine claimed second-point in Group D behind France in their qualification campaig; collating 12 points from eight matches.

A lot has happened since the last time the national side took the pitch with Russia’s invasion of the nation meaning that football has, of course, taken a back seat whilst more serious things are going on.

Two Premier League players are likely to feature for Oleksandr Petrakov’s side with Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko expected to start in midfield and West Ham United’s Andriy Yarmolenko set to play in a front-three.

This will be a nervy and cagey affair, as knockout matches so often are, but Scotland – given how impressive they have been – are expected to get past Ukraine here and that’s what we’re backing here.

JOE CITRONE

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