Belarus vs Scotland live: Steve Clarke’s men take home three points in World Cup qualifying
Belarus 0-2 Scotland: Che Adams helps Steve Clarke’s side to first win of World Cup qualifying
Scotland secured their first win of World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 victory over Belarus in strange, Covid-style conditions behind closed doors in Hungary.
Steve Clarke’s side were frustrated for much of the first half by a dogged Belarusian defence and showed no signs of recreating Greece’s rampant 4-0 display by half-time against the same opposition.
But Che Adams pounced shortly before the break, latching onto a fine Scott McTominay header to score a vital tap-in.
Scotland were the brighter side again in the second half but it was Belarus’ Zakhar Volkov who was to thank for their second goal, turning a Billy Gilmour header straight into his own net in the 65th minute.
It was far from a vintage performance but it was enough for Scotland to take home all three points and a vital step towards qualifying for their first World Cup since 1998.
Relive all the action and follow the reaction in our live blog:
Scotland stay on course for World Cup after beating Belarus behind closed doors
Scotland kept on a steady course for the 2026 World Cup with a solid 2-0 win over Belarus on a surreal evening in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.
After an encouraging 0-0 draw for Steve Clarke’s side in their opening qualifier in Group C against Denmark on Friday night, the closed-doors match in the ZTE Arena was an unwelcome throwback to the Covid-19 era of football.
Players and management shouts echoed around the ground with loud Scottish celebrations heard when striker Che Adams scored from close range two minutes before the break.
Belarus threatened at points but had the wind taken out of their sails when defender Zakhar Volkov headed into his own goal in the 65th minute to seal a crucial win for the Scots.
Scotland stay on course for World Cup after beating Belarus behind closed doors
'Job done' - Andy Robertson
“Job done. That's the best way to describe it,” Andy Robertson tells BBC Sport Scotland.
“We knew they would try to be a bit more secure and defensive. We just had to be patient and got the goal at the perfect time just before half-time.
“When they've changed their shape, it takes a wee bit of time to figure out what's going to work. Once we got through with a great goal, we just wanted to stay professional and thankfully got the second goal.”
On Ben Gannon-Doak, he says: “The gaffer put him on the left so I could look after him, but he doesn't need much looking after. He wants to take people on and his decision-making was good on the whole.
“We put in some shift on Friday and had to freshen it up. The four that came in were excellent. We need the full squad if we're going to qualify.”
'We know we're good enough' - Che Adams
Goalscorer Che Adams has a chat with BBC Sport Scotland. “It was really professional,” he says of the performance. “We knew we had to come here and get three points and we did that.
“Difficult pitch and a hard to break down team, but we did it in the end. We missed the fans a lot tonight. That was for them really.
“We know we're good enough [to qualify]. We knew we had to dig deep tonight and we did.”
Scotland face Greece at home next, and Adams says, “We know when we're at Hampden with the crowd behind us, we can beat anyone.”
What next for Scotland?
Scotland face Greece at Hampden Park on Thursday 9 October, while Belarus take on Denmark.
Scotland's bid for World Cup qualifying on track
So Scotland are now second in the group, level on points with leaders Denmark with four apiece.
Greece are third with three points after a 3-0 defeat in front of their home fans. They play Scotland next, at Hampden.
Belarus are bottom with nul points.
FULL-TIME: Belarus 0-2 Scotland
That’s it! Polite applause in this eerie stadium and Scotland have three points, two goals and a clean sheet. Not hugely thrilling stuff, but a fine result for Steve Clarke’s men.
Che Adams’ 10th Scotland goal and Zakhar Volkov’s own goal the difference.
Belarus 0-2 Scotland, 90+3 mins
Melnichenko goes into the book for quite literally throwing himself at McLean and bringing him down. What in the world was that.
Belarus 0-2 Scotland, 90 mins
McTominay’s boot has come off, has he potentially picked up a knock? Looks okay as he heads off, to be replaced by Miller for the final few minutes.
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