World Cup play-off semi-final: Scotland v Ukraine

The World Cup play-off semi-final between Scotland and Ukraine will be played on Wednesday in a game given global attention by the Russian invasion.

A place in the final against Wales is a carrot for the winners.

Scotland and Ukraine are both trying to get to the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.

The fixture was delayed from its original date due to the conflict in their homeland.

Oleksandr Petrakov's squad have spent the last month preparing for a training camp in Slovenia, given special permission to play while many of the country's men to the army are called up.

Germany, Italy, and Croatia all finished behind France in the group stage of the playoffs, despite being perfect in their eight group games.

The visitors will be ready for the game, according to Scotland head coach Steve Clarke.

He said that they are a good team, but they are also a good team.

The side that finished second in their group, behind the Danes, have not lost a game in their last eight.

The Ukrainian team will want to attack and we will play the same way.

The guys know that we are on a good run and they want to keep that going for at least two more matches.

Team news

Ryan Jack had to pull out of the Rangers squad due to a calf injury, while Scotland were without key defender Kieran Tierney as he recovers from knee surgery.

Nathan Patterson has run out of time, having not played since late March as the defender makes his way back from an ankle operation, but may be available should Scotland reach the final.

The war began in the winter and the home-based players have not been involved in any competitive action.

Lunin was an unused substitute for Real Madrid in the final of the European Championship and was the last to join the squad.

What they said

Oleksandr said that their mood was a fighting one because everyone knows what is going on in Ukraine.

Our motivation is definitely 100 per cent to win. I am pretty sure that all of the people in Ukraine who have the chance will watch us and support us.

We need to do it on the pitch, but we can speak a lot. We are going to make them proud and happy.

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon: "Everyone will be feeling the enormity of the occasion, but we are kind of shielded from what is going on, on the outside, and we prepare like any other game we have done."

It is not possible for us to know the full extent of everything they are going through, but we are expecting the best from them.

It will be difficult, but we are ready for it. We are in a good place.

Match stats

• This is the first meeting of the sides since October 2007 in a European Championship qualifier, with the Scots winning 3-1 through goals from Kenny Miller, Lee McCulloch and James McFadden.
• Ukraine's sole victory over Scotland came in October 2006, Oleksandr Kucher and Andriy Shevchenko scoring in Kyiv.
• Since losing consecutive World Cup qualifiers in October/November 2016 against Slovakia and England, Scotland have only lost one of their last 16 such games - a 2-0 defeat to Denmark in September 2021 - and won 11.
• This will be the fifth time Ukraine have competed in a World Cup qualification play-off, failing to progress from any so far: in 1997 v Croatia (lost 3-1), 2001 v Germany (2-5), 2009 v Greece (0-1) and 2013 v France (2-3).
• Scotland have won seven qualifiers during this campaign, their joint-most ever. They also won seven in qualifying for the 1998 tournament, which was the last time they reached the finals.
• This is Scotland's first World Cup play-off since 1985, when they faced Australia for a place at the 1986 finals. In the first leg, they won 2-0 at Hampden with goals from Davie Cooper and Frank McAvennie and drew 0-0 in Melbourne.
• Both John McGinn and Lyndon Dykes have scored four goals in this campaign for Scotland. The last Scottish player to net more goals in a single campaign was Kevin Gallacher in qualifying for the 1998 finals (six).