Scotland’s hopes of remaining in League A of the Nations League have been extinguished on Sunday evening after Steve Clarke’s facet have been comprehensively defeated 3-0 at Hampden Park by Greece.
The 2-legged Nations League promotion/relegation play-off had been within the steadiness after Scott McTominay’s purpose from the penalty spot in Piraeus final week had given the Tartan Military a one-goal first-leg benefit.
However a desperately disappointing efficiency on house soil noticed the Scots soundly overwhelmed, as Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis all struck handy the Greeks a 3-1 mixture victory.
How England can profit from Scotland’s defeat
Thomas Tuchel received off to a successful begin in his first match as England boss (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
It goes with out saying that almost all England followers will enjoy a Scottish lack of any sort, however Sunday evening’s defeat may find yourself handing the Three Lions a extra tangible profit than simply mere bragging rights.
Whereas Scotland have been scrapping to remain in League A of the Nations League, England had already received promotion from Group B, ending on high of a bunch final 12 months that contained Greece, the Republic of Eire and Finland.
Scotland have been relegated from League A within the Nations League
That meant England’s 2024/25 Nations League marketing campaign was accomplished final November, paving the best way for the Three Lions to get began on their World Cup 2026 qualifying marketing campaign, because the Thomas Tuchel period kicked off with a 2-0 win over Albania at Wembley on Friday.
Each England and Scotland will put the Nations League to at least one facet till the beginning of the 2026/27 season, after subsequent summer season’s World Cup is performed, however Scotland’s defeat to Greece and subsequent relegation could have handed England a seedings increase when the match picks up once more in 18 months.
Scotland’s relegation will see them fall to a Nations League rating of quantity 17 for the 2026/27 competitors, down from November’s interim rating of ninth place. England will now overtake Scotland and be ranked eleventh for the following version of the match, a better rise than if the Scots had held onto their place in League A.
These rankings keep in mind outcomes from the league stage, the League A knockout stage, plus the promotion/relegation play-offs.
England noticed off Albania 2-0 at Wembley due to objectives from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
World Cup qualification is subsequent on the agenda for each nations nevertheless, with the Scots lastly seeing their qualifying group confirmed after these newest fixtures, that means they are going to be up towards Belarus, Denmark and Greece in Group C.
England received their marketing campaign off to a successful begin by downing Albania on Friday, with Latvia their subsequent opponents on Monday night. Serbia and Andorra spherical off the group.
