Scotland's hopes of automatic qualification for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in the Americas took a crushing blow as they succumbed to a five-goal thriller against Greece. The Greeks came from behind twice to claim a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Spyros Loutrades Stadium, sending Scotland into disarray.
The Scots started strongly, taking an early lead through a stunning strike from Callum Paterson in the second minute. However, Greece equalized just five minutes later with a beautifully crafted goal by Panagiotis Tsiavos that left Scotland's goalkeeper Billy Knight flailing.
Just as it seemed the match was heading for a 1-1 stalemate, Scotland regained the lead through an excellent strike from David McGoldrick in the 43rd minute. Greece levelled again with a well-taken goal by Konstantinos Mitroglou just before halftime, leaving both teams feeling frustrated and disappointed.
The second half saw both teams come out strong, determined to capitalize on any opportunities that presented themselves. It was no surprise when Greece took the lead for the first time in the match through a penalty kick by Georgios Tzortzos in the 66th minute.
Scotland pulled ahead once more with a well-taken goal from Lyndon Dykes in the 73rd minute, sending the Scottish fans into raptures. However, Greece were not done yet and conjured up one final goal through Konstantinos Mitroglou's second of the night to seal a 3-2 victory.
The result means Scotland now lie third in their qualifying group, just behind both Denmark and Belarus who are also still vying for automatic qualification. The Scots will be left to ponder what might have been if only they could have seen out their lead, but on the day it was Greece's gritty display that proved the difference between victory and defeat.
The Scots started strongly, taking an early lead through a stunning strike from Callum Paterson in the second minute. However, Greece equalized just five minutes later with a beautifully crafted goal by Panagiotis Tsiavos that left Scotland's goalkeeper Billy Knight flailing.
Just as it seemed the match was heading for a 1-1 stalemate, Scotland regained the lead through an excellent strike from David McGoldrick in the 43rd minute. Greece levelled again with a well-taken goal by Konstantinos Mitroglou just before halftime, leaving both teams feeling frustrated and disappointed.
The second half saw both teams come out strong, determined to capitalize on any opportunities that presented themselves. It was no surprise when Greece took the lead for the first time in the match through a penalty kick by Georgios Tzortzos in the 66th minute.
Scotland pulled ahead once more with a well-taken goal from Lyndon Dykes in the 73rd minute, sending the Scottish fans into raptures. However, Greece were not done yet and conjured up one final goal through Konstantinos Mitroglou's second of the night to seal a 3-2 victory.
The result means Scotland now lie third in their qualifying group, just behind both Denmark and Belarus who are also still vying for automatic qualification. The Scots will be left to ponder what might have been if only they could have seen out their lead, but on the day it was Greece's gritty display that proved the difference between victory and defeat.
. They had a great start with that goal from Callum Paterson in the 2nd minute, but then Greece just kept coming at them and tying it up. And can you believe they scored twice in the last 30 minutes? It's like they were playing two different games 
. Scotland really should've seen out their lead when Lyndon Dykes scored that goal in the 73rd minute...oh well, gotta keep trying! 
. I mean, Callum Paterson's goal was insane 
, and David McGoldrick's strike in the 43rd minute seemed like the perfect wake-up call for Greece... but they just wouldn't quit 
! Lyndon Dykes' goal to tie it up again was so intense, and Scotland's fans must've been on cloud nine at that point 
. But in the end, Greece showed some serious grit & determination to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat 
. Not sure how Scotland will bounce back from this one though... maybe a rematch against Greece? 
what a beauty! 
anyway back to scotland... i feel bad for them they gave it their all but just couldn't quite get it done 
Scotland is all but done with their World Cup dreams after getting thrashed 3-2 by Greece 
. Scotland just needs one more loss, or if they're really unlucky, someone else slipping up too... 
. The suspense is killing me...
... I mean, it's not like they didn't see this coming, right? They did start strong but then gave away two goals in the first half. It's all about the team effort, you know? Greece played some sick stuff, no doubt about that 
. But, personally, I think Scotland's call-up system for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in the Americas was already a bit of a long shot... I mean, have they even been playing qualifiers against teams from other regions? 
Still, Greece deserved the win, and now they're all about the automatic qualification