Saturday November 17, 2007 Finished
-
Euro 2008 qual. - Injury-time heartbreak for Scots
A 91st-minute header from Christian Panucci ended Scotland's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 and sent Italy through with a 2-1 win. More
-
Live Commentary
Time:90'- Scotland
- Italy
90+3' The Scottish dream is over! That injury-time winner from Panucci sends the World Cup winners to Euro 2008, and Scotland will spend next summer at home. A great effort from Alex McLeish's men, but they fall agonisingly short.- 90+3' Chiellini tests Gordon from a Iaquinta pull-back. It is tipped over and Italy take an age over this corner.
90+2' Scotland bring on Kris Boyd for Lee McCulloch. Bit late now.
90+1' GOAL!!! Panucci does it for Italy and Scotland are shattered!! He meets Pirlo's cross with a precise header and Gordon cannot reach it. Scotland will not be going to Euro 2008.- 90+1' Chiellini barges into Hutton but somehow the free-kick is awarded the other way. Shocking decision.
- 90' Miller momentatrily breaks free after dispossessing Panucci but the referee correctly notes that he did so with the use of his arm.
88' Toni wins a free-kick off Hartley right near Scotland's right corner flag. That's the last thing they need. Pirlo whips it in and Panucci arrives with a diving header that whistles just wide.- 87' It is so frustrating, but Italy are the masters of running the clock down. They make another change, as Gattuso wanders off to be replaced by Daniele De Rossi.
- 85' Pirlo wins possession at the edge of the Scottish box and there is menace. Hartley eventually concedes a corner, over which Italy take their sweet time, much to the crowd's ire.
- 84' Italy's defending looks disorganised and uncertain. They are desperate for this game to be over, but there are still six minutes plus stoppage time to play.
- 83' Italy make another change - Juventus defender Georgio Chiellini comes on for Mauro Camoranesi.
- 81' WHAT A MISS!!! Is that the moment that Scotland will rue forever? Miller plays a superb ball across the face of goal from the right side and McFadden cannot direct the ball into the empty net!! He was sliding in and it wasn't the easiest finish in the world, but Buffon was nowhere. Should have buried it.
- 79' McFadden!! He has a crack from wide on the right after some great one- and two-touch passing, but slices wildly off target.
- 77' Italy win a free-kick just outside their own area and Buffon tries to run the clock down. Italy are clearly rattled here and are looking to cling on for a point.
- 74' Here is the change - Scott Brown making way for Miller, who has a shade over 15 minutes to make himself a hero.
- 74' Kenny Miller is about to come on, and is being given some instructions by assistant manager Roy Aitken.
- 73' Pirlo lines up a free-kick, which he strikes from halfway to Edinburgh. It bounces a yard wide.
- 72' Ferguson is penalised for an alleged tug on Barzagli. He gives the linesman a mouthful. Be nice, Barry, that's the chap who let your goal stand...
- 70' McFadden slides in strongly on Buffon, who loses his hat in the challenge. He's not a happy man, but gets precious little sympathy from the crowd inside Hampden. It's absolutely rocking now.
- 69' We know that a draw could be OK for the Scots - as long as Ukraine beat France. Italy will be fine, needing only to beat the Faroes on Wednesday.
- 68' Italy make a change, as Vincenzo Iaquinta comes on for Antonio Di Natale. The Juve man is a big, skilful player and a real handful.
- 66' The replays show Ferguson was half a yard offside - Italy will be feeling very hard done by, especially after having a goal ruled out in the first half. Who cares? Game on!
- 65' GOOOAAAALLL!!! SCOTLAND ON TERMS!!! Barry Ferguson!! McFadden's free-kick is deflected to McCulloch, whose shot is parried, and the Scottish captain pounces on the rebound to fire in from close range!!
- 63' Alan Hutton is brought cynically down at the edge of the box by Zambrotta and this will be a great chance for McFadden, who immediately grabs the ball.
- 61' A draw might be enough for Scotland, but they would need France to lose against Ukraine on Wednesday to go through. Either way, they need a goal.
- 59' Great long ball from Zambrotta to Camoranesi, who could have set up a second goal if he had looked for Di Natale rather than volleying goalwards. Instead Gordon saves.
- 57' McFadden wins a corner off Barzagli, and it gives Scotland another chance to create something from a set-piece... Hutton wins he header but directs it high over the bar.
- 56' Israel have gone in front against Russia, which is great news if you're an England fan. Click the match link on the right for full coverage from Tel-Aviv.
- 55' It has been all Italy since half-time, and surely changes are impending. Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd on the bench.
- 54' Andrea Pirlo lines up a free-kick about 25 yards from goal, and he has stuck away many of these in his time... not this one - an easy save for Gordon.
- 53' Camoranesi just fails to bring down a long ball upfield and it's just as well if you're a Scot, because he would have had a great chance had he succeeded.
50' Gattuso was clattered by Naysmith as he crossed that and needs some treatment on his right calf. Not one for playacting, the Milan man.- 49' More danger here as Gattuso crosses from the right flank for Di Natale!! He strikes a volley but Hutton blocks and Gordon catches the follow-up.
- 48' A dangerous moment as Gattuso creates a promising situation for Italy on the right side, but Weir stays strong and Scotland clear.
- 47' No changes from either side. Surprising perhaps. As well as Scotland have done going forward, surely they need a second striker alongside James McFadden?
46' We're back under way in Glasgow! Scotland need two goals in the next 45 minutes or else it's arrivederci qualification.- 45+3' Half-time, and Scotland are up against it. They have had their chances but go into the break a goal down, and know they need one of the most remarkable turnarounds in their history to reach Euro 2008.
- 45+2' CLEARED OFF THE LINE!! The unmarked Weir heads a corner goalwards but Pirlo makes a superb headed clearance with Buffon beaten! Agonising.
45' Late tackle by Toni on David Weir, and he can have no complaints about being shown a yellow card. Actually, it seems he can, as he gives a brief run-through of the myriad self-pitying Mediterranean gesticulations.- 44' Lee McCulloch is booked, which means both players down the Scottish left are on yellow cards.
- 42' Italy just seem to be coasting towards the break. McLeish needs to make changes at the break, and no doubt he will.
- 39' Italy are masters of relieving pressure by winning cheap free-kicks. There's nothing really wrong with the Scottish challenges, but their opponents are canny enough to realise that the Spanish referee will whistle for most minor infringements.
- 36' Di Natale attempts to find Toni but Scotland clear and look to break, but McFadden is isolated up front. Surely we will see Kenny Miller introduced at the break to offer another attacking option.
- 34' First yellow card of the game for Gary Naysmith following a clumsy trip.
31' Di Natale puts the ball in the net but an offside flag cuts the celebrations short. Gordon first denied Ambrosini with a remarkable save but Di Natale was wrongly deemed offside before sticking away the rebound. A let-off for Scotland, but what a save from Gordon.- 30' Neat interplay from Scotland involving Fletcher, McFadden and Ferguson, whose left-foot shot lacks power and Buffon makes an easy save. Great move, though, the best of the match from either side.
- 29' Gattuso brings down Hutton 30 yards from goal and McFadden may fancy a crack from here... Instead he opts for a cross, but succeeed only in presenting Buffon with the simplest of catches.
- 27' Hartley guides a ball through the left channel for Ferguson to chase but the ball skips off the wet turf and the Scotland captain cannot catch it.
- 25' Brown pressures Pirlo, who is dwelling on the ball in his own half. That is adjudged a foul but the Italian is a little fortunate to get away with that.
- 23' Craig Gordon meets Andrea Pirlo's corner with an excellent punch. But frustratingly Scotland give the ball away cheaply and give themselves more unnecessary defensive work.
- 21' The pressure relents slightly and Italy look to settle. They hardly look impregnable defensively so there is hope.
- 18' So close Alan Hutton! The defender leaps to meet a corner and glances his header inches wide of the far post. No chance Buffon, who is also wearing a hat, by the way. Great spell of pressure from the Scots but nothing to show for it. Italy look dodgy on set pieces.
- 17' Buffon punches another corner unconvincingly and it drops to Ferguson at the edge of the box, but he doesn't get his head over the ball and strikes it way over the bar.
- 16' The corner is half-cleared and a shot is fired back in that comes off the upper arm of Zambrotta and goes for a corner. Scotland want a penalty for handball but referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez is adamant - no penalty.
- 15' Scotland win a corner on their left, and Ferguson trots across to deliver it.
- 13' Toni again!! He picks up a ball that bounces off McManus and drives forwards. He unleashes a left-foot shot from the angle that Gordon just tips wide. The keeper then catches a dangerous-looking corner.
- 11' Di Natale gets half a yard of space and cracks a low shot that is easily saved by Gordon.
- 10' All this talk about weather an clothing probably tells you there's not much action to report on. Both sides happy to pass the ball sideways and settle into the game. The Azzurri look dangerous on the break though.
9' Weather watch: The rain has subsided but the surface is still slippy. It's about 8 degrees out there, so not even that cold.- 7' Gianluigi Buffon is wearing an enormous jumper under his shirt along with the obligatory polo-neck. He looks like an ice hockey goalkeeper with all that padding. All but a couple of the Scots are in short sleeves, incidentally.
- 5' Remember Scotland need to win this to qualify, and need to conjure two goals from somewhere. It has been an amazing campaign but Alex McLeish's side have a mountain to climb. They wanted to keep it tight and nick a 1-0. No chance of that now.
- 3' Should have been two!! Toni dribbles into the box on the left side and pulls back for Mauro Camoranesi, who skies his left-foot shot with the goal at his mercy. A horror show for Scotland.
- 2' GOAL!!! Italy in front!! Disaster for Scotland!! Some slack defending allows Di Natale to work in a low cross from the right, and Luca Toni nips in front of his man to prod a powerful close-range effort high into the net!
1' We're under way! Massive roar. Scotland are in all-navy, white Italy sport a rather virginal white. They are wearing armbands out of respect for Gabriele Sandri, the Lazio fan shot by a policeman.- - Flower of Scotland features a shouted "Come on!" at the end of the first line, courtesy of the kilted "singer" with the microphone in the middle of the pitch. What is it with kilts and bow ties? If you're going to go kilt, surely you have to go the whole Braveheart-style hog, rather than taking the incongruous tuxedo route.
- - The teams emerge to an amazing noise inside Hampden Park. Fireworks go off around the players. This place is jumping.
- - The teams are in, and the talismanic James McFadden will lead the forward line in Alex McLeish's 4-5-1 formation. Italy operate with a three-pronged attack; Mauro Camoranesi and Antonio Di Natale flanking the deadly Luca Toni.
- The challenge is simple - beat Italy and qualify for Euro 2008. Can Scotland do it? Find out LIVE from 5pm!
-
Summary
- 90+1' GOAL!!! Panucci does it for Italy and Scotland are shattered!! He meets Pirlo's cross with a precise header and Gordon cannot reach it. Scotland will not be going to Euro 2008.
- 88' Toni wins a free-kick off Hartley right near Scotland's right corner flag. That's the last thing they need. Pirlo whips it in and Panucci arrives with a diving header that whistles just wide.
- 81' WHAT A MISS!!! Is that the moment that Scotland will rue forever? Miller plays a superb ball across the face of goal from the right side and McFadden cannot direct the ball into the empty net!! He was sliding in and it wasn't the easiest finish in the world, but Buffon was nowhere. Should have buried it.
- 79' McFadden!! He has a crack from wide on the right after some great one- and two-touch passing, but slices wildly off target.
- 65' GOOOAAAALLL!!! SCOTLAND ON TERMS!!! Barry Ferguson!! McFadden's free-kick is deflected to McCulloch, whose shot is parried, and the Scottish captain pounces on the rebound to fire in from close range!!
- 49' More danger here as Gattuso crosses from the right flank for Di Natale!! He strikes a volley but Hutton blocks and Gordon catches the follow-up.
- 45+2' CLEARED OFF THE LINE!! The unmarked Weir heads a corner goalwards but Pirlo makes a superb headed clearance with Buffon beaten! Agonising.
- 31' Di Natale puts the ball in the net but an offside flag cuts the celebrations short. Gordon first denied Ambrosini with a remarkable save but Di Natale was wrongly deemed offside before sticking away the rebound. A let-off for Scotland, but what a save from Gordon.
- 30' Neat interplay from Scotland involving Fletcher, McFadden and Ferguson, whose left-foot shot lacks power and Buffon makes an easy save. Great move, though, the best of the match from either side.
- 18' So close Alan Hutton! The defender leaps to meet a corner and glances his header inches wide of the far post. No chance Buffon, who is also wearing a hat, by the way. Great spell of pressure from the Scots but nothing to show for it. Italy look dodgy on set pieces.
- 17' Buffon punches another corner unconvincingly and it drops to Ferguson at the edge of the box, but he doesn't get his head over the ball and strikes it way over the bar.
- 16' The corner is half-cleared and a shot is fired back in that comes off the upper arm of Zambrotta and goes for a corner. Scotland want a penalty for handball but referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez is adamant - no penalty.
- 13' Toni again!! He picks up a ball that bounces off McManus and drives forwards. He unleashes a left-foot shot from the angle that Gordon just tips wide. The keeper then catches a dangerous-looking corner.
- 2' GOAL!!! Italy in front!! Disaster for Scotland!! Some slack defending allows Di Natale to work in a low cross from the right, and Luca Toni nips in front of his man to prod a powerful close-range effort high into the net!
- - The challenge is simple - beat Italy and qualify for Euro 2008. Can Scotland do it? Find out LIVE from 5pm!
Live Team Line-Up
- Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto González
-
ScotlandManager: Alex McLeish
Captain: 6. Barry Ferguson
Starting line-up
- C. Gordon
- A. Hutton
- D. Weir
- S. McManus
- G. Naysmith
- P. Hartley
- D. Fletcher
- B. Ferguson
- S. Brown
- L. McCulloch
- J. McFadden
Subs
- 18. K. Miller
74′ - 14. T. Boyd
- 13. G. Alexander
- 16. C. Dailly
- 15. G. Caldwell
- 17. S. Maloney
- 12. A. McGregor
Injured
None
Suspended
None
-
ItalyManager: Roberto Donadoni
Captain: 5. Fabio Cannavaro
Starting line-up
- G. Buffon
- C. Panucci
- F. Cannavaro
- A. Barzagli
- G. Zambrotta
- A. Pirlo
- G. Gattuso
- M. Ambrosini
- M. Camoranesi
- A. Di Natale
- L. Toni
Subs
- 20. S. Perrotta
- 14. M. Amelia
- 15. V. Iaquinta 66′
- 11. A. Gilardino
- 10. D. De Rossi 86′
- 3. F. Grosso
- 4. G. Chiellini 83′
Injured
None
Suspended
None
This site is Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
- Terms of Service
- Updated Privacy Policy
- Copyright/IP Policy
- Remarks and Suggestions
- Corporate info
- Jobs at Eurosport
Notice: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy.