Serbia 1-1 Scotland (4-5 on penalties): Shootout sends Scots to Euro 2020 and ends 22 years of pain

David Marshall made a decisive save on Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty shoot-out to send Scotland to their first major tournament in 22 years.

A Ryan Christie goal seemed to have given Scotland the victory they needed to secure qualification for Euro 2020 with a 1-0 win over Serbia only for Luka Jovic to score a dramatic late draw to send the game into extra time.

Until then, Steve Clarke’s team had produced a disciplined and well-organized performance in Belgrade, with the opener after 52 minutes when Callum McGregor found Christie on the edge of the area with a pass. The Celtic striker turned his man and sent a low backhand shot to the back of the net inside the post.

Serbia applied pressure to find a draw and their pressure showed at the end, with substitute Jovic at the end of a corner kick to head home with just 150 seconds of the match left to play.

Clarke’s latest substitutions robbed Scotland of an attacking outing, with Lyndon Dykes, Christie and John McGinn retired. Serbia went looking for a winner in overtime, but could not find one as the contest turned into a shootout.

Scotland scored all five penalties on penalties, and Marshall made the crucial save to end the country’s long, long wait for a major tournament. Now they can look forward to an appetizing clash against England in Group D, with Croatia and the Czech Republic also lurking next summer.

At last, Scotland’s wait for qualification is over. Sometimes for the last 22 years, since the 1998 World Cup, it seemed like Scotland was cursed. They’ve come this close to doing a big tournament so many times before, but they missed out on bad luck or a fatalistic attitude. That curse has now been lifted. Scotland will be in the European Championships next summer and Clarke’s men have earned their place. They deserve it.

Ryan Christie (Scotland): There were several standout artists for Scotland, with Declan Gallagher, McGinn, Dykes and McGregor playing well, but it was Christie who made the biggest difference. The Celtic man was calm in the first half but came to life in the second half, scoring the goal that seemed to have sent Scotland to the European Championship. If Clarke made a mistake, it was by retiring Christie too early in the game that he should have kept him to give him an exit at his side.

Serbia: Rajkovic 7, Milenkovic 6, S. Mitrovic 5, Gudelj 7, Lazovic 6, Kostic 5, Maksimovic 5, Lukic 7, Milinkovic-Savic 7, Tadic 6, Mitrovic 5. Subs: Katai 7, Spajic 5, Mladenovic 6, Jovic 8 .

Scotland: Marshall 8, O’Donnell 7, Robertson 6, McTominay 5, Gallagher 8, Tierney 6, McGinn 8, Jack 7, McGregor 8, Christie 8, Dykes 8. Subs: McLean 5, Griffiths 4, Paterson 4, McBurnie 5.

52 ‘- GOAL Serbia 0-1 Scotland (Christie): Scotland has scored! It’s at the bottom of the net! Christie shoots from 20 yards and hits Rajkovic from inside the post! An excellent reverse shot from the Scottish attacker! What a huge, massive goal that could be!

90 ‘- GOAL! Serbia 1-1 Scotland (Jovic): It’s a late late late tie! Heartbreak for Scotland! Jovic reaches the end of a corner kick shot to the middle, heads towards the ground and the ball bounces towards the top corner of Marshall’s net. Are we heading for extra time?

SANCTIONS – MARSHALL SAVES FROM MITROVIC! SCOTLAND WON IN PENALTIES! SCOTLAND GOES TO THE EUROS!