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David Marshall was the hero as Scotland reached the final of Euro 2020 with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Serbia in Belgrade.
Scotland, of course, did it the hard way, reaching their first major tournament since 1998 after a 1-1 draw.
Ryan Christie’s goal seemed to have sent Steve Clarke’s dominant team into their first major tournament since 1998, but Serbia scored with their first shot on goal in the 90th minute.
However, the blow was fleeting when Marshall saved Aleksandar Mitrovic on the 10th penalty of the penalty shootout.
Christie gave Scotland a well-deserved lead in the 52nd minute with an excellent shot from outside the box and Steve Clarke’s team had a chance to give themselves some extra cushion.
They would regret not getting a second goal, despite being comfortable for the vast majority of regulation time.
Marshall was rarely concerned, Scotland’s defense was resolved when necessary, the midfield calm and confident and Christie, John McGinn and Lyndon Dykes gave the home defense serious problems.
But Serbia subjected Scotland to late air pressure and Luka Jovic headed home unanswered from a corner 20 seconds before the 90-minute mark.
However, Scotland secured a 5-4 penalty shootout to prepare for two Hampden encounters against Croatia and the Czech Republic and a Wembley clash with England in next summer’s delayed final.
The signals were good heading into the clash at Red Star’s Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Scotland were eight games unbeaten and had recorded four wins and three clean sheets on the trot.
Clarke left with most of the team that had won three games in October, but Kieran Tierney and Christie returned, the latter for the injured Ryan Fraser, after the pair were instructed to self-isolate last month.
There was more spirits from the early stages, as Scotland dominated possession and territory in the first 10 minutes, hitting multiple crosses into the box without finding a blue jersey, before Christie made a save from an ambitious free kick.
Serbia was barely seen as a striking force until it approached the middle of the middle. Aleksandar Mitrovic returned the ball to Sasa Lukic, who directed the ball a meter wide from the edge of the area.
Scotland moved closer when Christie fed McGinn after a long pass, the latter’s shot being met on the second try.
Scotland continued to threaten and captain Andy Robertson rejected a glorious opportunity five minutes after the break after Lyndon Dykes had faced three defenders to get the ball rolling his way. The Liverpool player cut his shot well.
The Scots went ahead 90 seconds later. Callum McGregor intercepted and fed his Celtic teammate Christie, who spun and fired the ball off the post from 22 yards.
Christie soon had a volley saved after a front-facing Dykes and Scotland remained in control.
Serbia had to accelerate and did so in the last 20 minutes. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mitrovic’s headers weren’t very open, but Scotland were still creating opportunities.
McGregor saw a long-range effort drift just off the mark and Christie came closer after running towards a long ball.
Local pressure mounted and Jovic headed wide from a good chance, but Scotland seemed to be holding on until the substitute evaded marker Scott McTominay amid a crowd of bodies to head home unchallenged from the corner of Filip Mladenovic.
Clarke had knocked out his three most advanced players in the final seven minutes of normal time with Oli McBurnie, Callum Paterson and Kenny McLean now leading the charge after being hired to help shore up an advantage.
Stephen O’Donnell and Ryan Jack were close from long range in the opening moments, but Scotland was soon back under pressure and Marshall produced a brilliant fingertip save to deflect Nemanja Gudelj’s long-distance effort away from the ball. Upper corner.
Scotland had lost their attacking rhythm and Clarke shot Leigh Griffiths in the 117th minute for his first international game in more than two years.
Griffiths’ first involvement was shooting home the opening penalty of the penalty shootout. McGregor, McTominay, McBurnie and McLean also scored before Marshall denied Mitrovic.
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