Scott McTominay’s initial goal was annulled by VAR as Spain ultimately emerged victorious with a 2-0 win in Seville. John McGinn pointed out that Scotland faced adverse calls in crucial moments, making it nearly impossible for them to secure a victory in Spain. This result prevented Steve Clarke’s team from achieving early qualification for Euro 2024, following a contentious 2-0 defeat in Seville.
Scotland only needed a draw against Spain to secure their spot in the upcoming Euros, and even though they had to withstand periods of intense pressure from the hosts, they believed they had broken through when Scott McTominay netted an exceptional free-kick in the 59th minute. Unfortunately, McTominay’s goal was ruled out by referee Serdar Gozubuyuk after a VAR review. Initially, it was explained that Scotland’s defender, Jack Hendry, had committed a foul on Spain’s goalkeeper, Unai Simon. However, McGinn clarified that the Dutch official later indicated that Hendry was offside and interfering with play.
Spain subsequently took the lead with a goal from Alvaro Morata. While Scotland can still qualify if Norway fails to defeat La Roja in Oslo on Sunday, they had to cope with several setbacks. In addition to the disallowed goal, Scotland lost their captain, Andy Robertson, to a dislocated shoulder before halftime.
Scotland aspired to become the first team to secure a point against Spain in Euro qualifiers on Spanish soil since 2003, a streak that had spanned 25 matches. McGinn lamented that crucial moments did not favor his team, but he acknowledged that there is room for improvement, emphasizing the effort put in by the players.
“We were aware that securing at least a point tonight would have guaranteed our qualification, so it’s extremely disheartening. Losing Andy Robertson early in the game was a painful setback, and just when we believed we had taken the lead, we had to regroup and then Spain scored.
“We competed effectively for extended periods. Winning here is an immense challenge, and given the circumstances, it felt nearly unattainable. It’s important to choose one’s words carefully. From a Scottish perspective, it appeared to everyone watching the game that we weren’t receiving any favorable 50/50 decisions, making it particularly challenging against a world-class team.
“Success at this venue demands a flawless performance, with everything falling into place, but it was simply an improbable task. The referee altered his rationale for the VAR review during the match, which is frustrating. This suggests that the decision was not clear and obvious. Would the goalkeeper have saved it? Absolutely not. No goalkeeper in the world would have stopped that shot. However, at one point, the referee stated it was a foul, then realized it wasn’t and switched it to offside.”
Regarding the defeat, Scotland manager Clarke emphasized the need for his players to move forward. Scotland will face France in a friendly in Lille next Tuesday, while Spain will take on Norway in Oslo two days earlier. If Norway fails to secure points, Scotland’s spot in the 2024 European Championship in Germany will be secured. Scotland also has upcoming matches against Georgia away and Norway at home in November.
“The team performed well, and the players are understandably disappointed,” Clarke noted. “We came here with the determination to secure qualification. It didn’t happen tonight, but there were many positives in our performance. The pivotal moment in the game was likely the close decision on Scott McTominay’s goal. At the time, we believed it was a goal. We knew that when the referee was instructed to review it, he would likely disallow it. The decision has been made, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.”