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Croatia make three changes to the side that won 1-0 against Poland last time round. Mario Pašalić, Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić – the latter two World Cup finalists – replace Marko Pjaca and Bruno Petković, who drop to the bench, and Mateo Kovačić, absent with baby on the way. Luka Modrić, the third member of that famous 2018 side starting today, will win his 181st cap.
Here’s the story of Scotland’s Nations League campaign so far. It’s been A1 in name, if nothing else. Injury-time misery …
… was soon compounded by more late woe …
… and so the Group A1 table currently looks like this. Poland will host Portugal later this evening.
Portugal P2 W2 D0 L0 F4 A2 Pts 6
Croatia P2 W1 D0 L1 F2 A2 Pts 3
Poland P2 W1 D0 L1 F3 A3 Pts 3
Scotland P2 W0 D0 L2 F3 A5 Pts 0
Scotland make three changes to the team that started the 2-1 defeat in Portugal. Craig Gordon replaces Angus Gunn in goal, John Souttar steps in for Scott McKenna at the back, and the creative void left by the absence of John McGinn is filled by Ben Doak, making his first full start for his country. Ché Adams, who has scored three goals in Serie A for Torino this season, has to make do with a place on the bench; Steve Clarke sticks with Lyndon Dykes, who has yet to score his first goal for Birmingham City in League One.
The teamsCroatia: Livaković, Šutalo, Ćaleta-Car, Gvardiol, Perišić, Modrić, Mario Pašalić, Sosa, L Sučić, Matanović, Kramarić.
Subs: Labrović, Ivušić, Jakić, Erlić, Moro, Marco Pašalić, Budimir, P Sučić, Baturina, Petković, Oršić, Pjaca.
Scotland: Gordon, Ralston, Hanley, Souttar, Robertson, Gilmour, McLean, Christie, McTominay, Doak, Dykes.
Subs: McCracken, McCrorie, Adams, MacKenzie, Irving, Porteous, Lindsay, Morgan, Nisbet, Gauld, Devlin.
Referee: István Kovács (Romania).
PreambleScotland are without James Forrest, Angus Gunn, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, Scott McKenna, Jack Henry, Tommy Conway, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Lewis Ferguson for their visit to Zagreb: no wonder STV and BBC Scotland have decided to give this fixture the bodyswerve. Time was, the BBC would clear the decks for the Old Firm and Edinburgh derbies and still find room for the Young Pigeon National pigeon racing. Just six-and-half hours from Cheltenham to Ecclefechan, and that despite the birds being released into a headwind!
This is pure gold from beginning to end. The ever-excellent Archie Macpherson’s patter feels at least 20 years ahead of its time. Sandy McLeish (26m 55s) speaks for us: great stuff!But now it’s Alan Carr’s Picture Slam this, Viaplay International YouTube channel that, and here we are. Thank the lord for the Guardian MBM, eh readers? What? Oh. OK, but we are doing this nevertheless. Kick-off is at 5pm BST. It’s not on … but it’s on!