Scotland Stun Poland with Last-Minute Victory

Scotland kept their Nations League hopes alive with a dramatic stoppage-time victory over Poland, thanks to captain Andy Robertson’s powerful header. The 80th-minute goal not only secured a 2-1 win but also earned Scotland a chance to fight for their League A status in a relegation play-off in March. Earlier, John McGinn gave the Scots a dream start with a superb goal from a Ben Doak assist in just the third minute—their fastest competitive goal since 2001.

For much of the match, Scotland seemed poised to surpass Croatia for a top-two spot with Croatia trailing Portugal and McGinn’s goal holding firm. However, Poland’s Kamil Piatkowski stunned the visitors with a spectacular equalizer while Josko Gvardiol’s strike for Croatia dashed Scotland’s quarter-final hopes. Despite this setback, Robertson’s late heroics ensured Scotland a shot at survival in League A.

Scotland created numerous chances but were twice denied by the woodwork in the first half with Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay both coming agonizingly close. Poland’s second-half resurgence threatened Scotland’s position but Robertson’s clinical finish from a John Souttar cross sealed a memorable win.

The victory, Scotland’s second in a row, highlights their resilience under head coach Steve Clarke though they face a potential pot-three seeding for the World Cup draw in December unless results elsewhere favor them. Meanwhile, Poland’s campaign ended in disappointment with 10 goals conceded across their last three games and only one win in their past nine outings.

Key stats include McGinn’s 20th international goal making him one of Scotland’s all-time top scorers and Robertson becoming the first Scot to score a 90th-minute winner since 2021. The focus now shifts to Scotland’s relegation play-off and preparations for the World Cup qualifiers.