Scotland’s long major tournament exile is over after a penalty shoot-out win over Serbia in Belgrade secured their place at Euro 2020 on Thursday, while minnows North Macedonia will make their finals debut following a tense play-off win in Georgia. Hungary and Slovakia also won to secure spots at the tournament which was postponed earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and is now set for June and July of 2021.
An extra year’s wait will not matter to Scotland, who had gone through 10 failed qualifying campaigns since their last major tournament, the 1998 World Cup, and nearly threw away their play-off final against Serbia.
Steve Clarke’s team led courtesy of Ryan Christie’s strike early in the second half in the rain in Belgrade, but Luka Jovic headed in to make it 1-1 in the 90th minute, forcing extra time.
There were no more goals, and Scotland triumphed 5-4 on penalties as goalkeeper David Marshall saved Aleksandar Mitrovic’s last spot kick, sparking joyous scenes of celebration in an empty stadium.
Unbeaten in nine games, Scotland can look forward to a trip to Wembley to play England, and will also face the Czech Republic and Croatia in Glasgow in Group D at the finals.
“The way the game went tonight, conceding that late equaliser and still digging in. Then big ‘Marsh’ comes up, amazing, unbelievable,” said Celtic star Christie.
Struggling to hold back tears, he added: “I’m gone. It’s for the whole nation, it’s been a horrible year for everyone. We knew coming into the game we could give a little something to the country and I hope everyone back home is having a party tonight.
“We’ve been through so many years and it’s the monkey off the back now.”
Meanwhile North Macedonia will make their tournament debut after veteran 37-year-old striker Goran Pandev scored their winner in the 56th minute in Tbilisi.
A member of the Inter Milan side that won the 2010 Champions League, Pandev is now with Genoa and is his country’s all-time top goal-scorer.
The Balkan nation, who sit 65th in FIFA’s world rankings, will go into Group C alongside the Netherlands, Austria and Ukraine.
North Macedonia had never come close to reaching a major tournament before but were given a chance after the new UEFA Nations League offered a route to Europe’s traditional minnows.
One qualifying place was set aside to a team from the bottom League D, and North Macedonia topped a group with Armenia, Gibraltar and Liechtenstein before beating neighbours Kosovo 2-1 in the play-off semi-finals last month.
The delayed, 24-team Euro is set to be played in 12 cities across the continent, with the semi-finals and final at Wembley in London.