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Scotland’s Euro 2024 Qualifying Campaign: A Momentous Victory in Oslo
There’s something Scottish inside all of us that, even in the highest of highs, is telling you something terrible is going to happen. But as Scotland left the Ullevaal Stadion victorious on Saturday night, there was no hint of trepidation from the Scotland fans around us. The victory, and manner of it, over Norway was incredible and with three wins from three, we now sit atop of the Euro 2024 qualifying Group A table.
Steve Clarke’s Immense Job
Steve Clarke has done an immense job and Scotland fans have a right to have a wee bit of positivity and hope. The players are backing it up – and that’s the key thing. They delivered a phenomenal night when all looked lost.
Scotland’s Performance
Looking back at the game, there wasn’t a lot to cheer about it until the last few minutes. I didn’t think it was a strong performance from Scotland, but it wasn’t going to be about the performance. It was always going to be about the result and, in the end, we’ve come away with an incredible result that puts us in such a strong, commanding position.
The Spirit in This Squad
We’ve spoken about the spirit in this squad previously. We’ve spoken about the togetherness, the belief, having that club mentality. You can see what it means for the players to be turning up for Scotland and they’ve had a different camp this time in terms of meeting up really early, getting a good week’s work in Spain. At the end of the season, it’s difficult sometimes because you’ve played so many games and you’re physically and mentally tired, but you’ve got to go again. This group is all about that, the group. A quality that maybe hasn’t been discussed that much. We’ve spoken about the good performances, we’ve spoken about the individual players. But, actually, in Oslo, the players showed another side to the Scotland team. A never-say-die attitude, which is another brilliant piece for their armoury moving forward.
The Importance of the Win
Getting even a point in Oslo was going to be pivotal, but taking a victory is seismic in this group. If that Erling Haaland goal had won it then Norway were right back in the mix and question marks start to appear. We’ve got a difficult end to this campaign in terms of the fixtures as three of the final four are away, so to get these points on the board early is vital. To follow up the win over Spain was the key thing. It was a marquee result that not many people would have been expecting, but to follow it up coming away to Norway, a difficult venue, difficult conditions, against a team with the best player in the world and to get the three points is just magnificent.
The Scenes in Oslo
Up until Lyndon Dykes scored, it was an instantly forgettable match to cover. However, those two minutes in which we scored the equaliser and the winner, it was a privilege to be there and see it live. Scotland fans will always be wary of what may come back to bite us, but the scenes in Oslo will only kindle more belief that a return to the Euro finals is within reach as Georgia come into view.
Conclusion
Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign is off to an incredible start with three wins from three games. Steve Clarke has done an immense job and the players have shown a never-say-die attitude that has been pivotal in their success so far. The victory over Norway was seismic and puts Scotland in a strong position as they prepare for their next game against Georgia on Tuesday. The scenes in Oslo will only kindle more belief that a return to the Euro finals is within reach.