Spain vs Scotland. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Spain will host Scotland in the UEFA EURO 2024 7th qualification round of Group A match at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville. The fixture will take place on Friday, October 13, beginning at 00:15 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Spain News & Current Form: 

Whatever tournament the Spanish national team participates in, they are always among the main contenders for the title. But here’s the problem – since 2012, when the Spaniards conquered the European Championship, these very titles have not been added to Fury. And the results at the big forums did not inspire optimism. 

At the FIFA World Cup in 2014 they failed to make it out of the group, in 2018 and 2022 they made it out of the group, but were immediately knocked out in 1/8 in penalty shootouts. 

At the European Championships, the story is similar: in 2016 in the first round of the playoffs defeat to Italy. And only at Euro 2020 managed to overcome the barrier in the form of the first elimination game, defeating Croatia, followed by Switzerland. Only in the semifinals La Furia Roja lost to a well-known rival – Italy.

After Luis Enrique resigned following the elimination from Morocco at the last World Cup in Qatar, the national team was led by Luis De La Fuente. And he managed to do what 11 years could not do any other mentor of the Spaniards – to win a trophy with the team. 

The Reds conquered the UEFA Nations League, where in the semifinals the Spaniards returned the debt for Euro to Italy, and in the final game in a penalty shootout beat Croatia.

One of the top scorers of Spanish national team – Alvaro Morata

However, starting the new qualifying cycle for Euro 2024 without losses did not work out. In the first round Norway were beaten without much effort, but the trip to Hampden Park against the Scots turned out to be a fiasco for De la Fuente’s team: a 0:2 defeat with a double by Scott McTominay.

After that, the Spaniards took their anger out on Georgia (7:1) and Cyprus (6:0) in September’s qualifying matches, but they did not return to the first line – second place in the group with 9 points and a goal difference of 16:3.

De la Fuente puts a beautiful attacking style to his team, typical of the Spanish national team of the last decades. He is not afraid to experiment and invite not the most obvious candidates to the team.

The national team is at the moment a very young team, which is also fueled by experienced players who have a lot of world and European tournaments under their belt. 

There are veterans in the form of Joselu and César Azpilicueta. Moreover, the 33-year-old Real Madrid CF forward is the top scorer so far with Alvaro Morata. They have three goals each. So are the young players: 16-year-old FC Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, Ansu Fati, Gavi, Pedri, etc.

Scotland News & Current Form: 

Unlike the Spanish Fury, the Tartan Beasts were never expected to deliver any outstanding results. Although let’s be honest, even mediocre results were not expected. The Scottish team last played at the World Cup in 1998 in France, and has only managed to qualify for the Euros three times, twice back in the 90s of the 20th century. 

Nevertheless, Scotland has recently started to surprise on the positive side. First, the Scots made it to Euro 2020, although they didn’t find success there, finishing last in a quartet with England, Croatia and the Czech Republic. Then the Scots won their group in the Nations League, beating Ireland, Armenia and Ukraine. 

And the latest sensation – the Scottish national team leads the group of selection for the Euro with five wins in five matches, which will almost allow the Tartan Army to play on the fields of Germany in 2024. And besides weak Cyprus there is Georgia with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Norway with Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland, and Spain with stars at any position. 

Clarke’s team managed to beat everyone: Cyprus got two beatings 3:0, Georgia and Spain lost in Glasgow 2:0, and the most difficult victory happened in Oslo – by the 87th minute they were losing to the Norwegians, but Scott McTominay managed to score twice and turn the game around.

Hero of Scottish national team – Scott McTominay

In general, the performance of the Manchester United FC center-back in the qualifying tournament is amazing. He has already scored six goals in five matches. Never before has he demonstrated such goal scoring efficiency. The midfielder has become perhaps the main discovery of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. In the new role, which was assigned to him by Clarke, he became the most productive.

Apart from him, there are many other bright figures in the Scotland squad who are at the top of their game in the English Premier League. They are captain Andrew Robertson of Liverpool FC, Billy Gilmour from Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Aaron Hickey of Brentford FC and John McGinn of Aston Villa FC.

It is worth paying tribute to coach Steve Clarke. With objectively few resources, he has supplied the team with combination soccer of terrific quality. It has everything excellent in both offense and defense. Only one conceded goal and 12 scored goals prove it.

Spain form guide: W-L-W-W-W-W

Scotland form guide: W-W-W-W-W-L

Spain vs Scotland Head-To-Head Record:

• October 12, 2010: Scotland 2 – 3 Spain (UEFA EURO);
• October 11, 2011: Spain 3 – 1 Scotland (UEFA EURO);
• March 28, 2023: Scotland 2 – 0 Spain (UEFA EURO).

Spain vs Scotland Predicted XI:

Spain’s possible starting lineup (4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Balde; Merino, Rodri, Gavi; Torres, Morata, N. Williams.

Scotland’s possible starting lineup (3-4-2-1): Gunn; Porteous, Hendry, Cooper; Hickey, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson; McTominay, McGinn; Adams.

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Statistical preview of the match Spain vs Scotland:

• Spain’s First XI average age is 26.3 years, Scotland’s First XI average age is 26.8 years.
• Serdar Gozubuyukhas been appointed as the center referee. The referee has already served eight games this season, showing an average of 5.13 Yellow Cards and also whistles 23.88 fouls per game. 
• The Spaniards are unbeaten in their last 4 meetings, with 3 wins in regulation time. In the last 2 matches played they won with a total score (13:1).
• In only 2 of the last 5 meetings of Spaniards both teams scored.
• In current qualifying, Spain are scoring an average of exactly four goals per game – the best value (along with the Portuguese) of any national team on the continent.
• La Roja is scoring an average of 3 goals in their last 5 matches.
• In 5 of the last 6 meetings the Scots have won.
• In the last 5 matches the Scots scored an average of 2 goals.
• Scotland, along with standouts France and Portugal, are among a trio of national teams going the distance with 100 percent results.

What has been said before the match:

Head coach of the Red Fury Luis De La Fuente about the conclusions his team made after recent games:

“I don’t see it as revenge, I see it as a game, we’ll fight to win and it’s a responsibility because we represent a country. It’s not revenge, it’s another football game, a very important one, but a game.”

“The team gives me confidence, security, they are responsible, professional, add the talent the players have and I am very calm. Of course we drew conclusions after the defeat, the important one is that now we’re better than we were then, a better team than we were.”

“Now we have to play football and show that, we’ll try to win tomorrow, and the next game, and the next game. Since the last matches, we’ve been conscious of the importance of these two games, and tomorrow’s game, which is decisive to almost open the door to qualification for us. The mere idea of being able to seal qualification in these two games shows their importance.”

Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn about his team’s mental state ahead of the game with Spain:

“We are confident. It’s a great atmosphere in the squad. We have done unbelievably well so far and we are nearly there so it’s down to us to stay professional and go over to Spain and hopefully get the result we want.”

“With what we have done so far, we have given ourselves the confidence that we can go there and get a result, and obviously the points we have on the board gives us less pressure to get a result, so we can play with more freedom and hopefully, like we have done at Hampden, go away and score a few goals as well.”

“It’s been unbelievable the nights we have had so far. Beating Spain and going to Norway and getting that last-minute winner. I find myself at home watching all the videos and the commentaries. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but it’s been unbelievable and hopefully there’s more to come.”

“Every time I watch them I get goosebumps. Kenny McLean’s winner in Norway, I always go back to the club and play it loud in the changing room so all the lads can hear it. Those kinds of moments live long in the memory of the fans and not just them, it’s the players as well.”

Spain vs Scotland Prediction:

In June 2003, the Spanish national team loosened up and accidentally lost at home to a modest Greek team. The misfire at Hampden Park perfectly revitalized the Red Fury: in June they won the Nations League, and in September they battered their opponents for Euro 2024 qualification. Georgia and Cyprus got 13 goals apiece from the Spaniards and their winning streak is already 24 matches long and will probably be extended in the upcoming match. Albeit against the Scots, who are showing themselves at the Euro qualifiers quite well. It is worth considering that the Tartan Terriers may show their teeth against strong opponents, in March the Scots proved that it is possible for the team to beat with confidence even such mastodons as Spain (2:0).

Nevertheless, at the moment the Red Fury are by far the strongest team in this match-up, even with some personnel losses. The tactical verve and fluidity of the football in the execution of talented classy stars allows the Spaniards to play their dominant football under any circumstances. Spain will be determined to get revenge on Steve Clarke’s boys for the away spat, so we expect a superb attacking performance from them. Not that the hosts will win too easily (as they did in September), but Luis De La Fuente’s charges have to wrest points from their direct rivals to edge closer to them.

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Spain will win – Yes.
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