Scotland relegated to Nations League B after draw

Published on: 01 December 2023

Scotland will be relegated to League B of the Women's Nations League, despite dominating in a draw with Belgium.

Erin Cuthbert's sublime strike from distance cancelled out Marie Detruyer's tidy opener in Leuven, but it was not enough for a Scotland side requiring a win to prolong their stay in the top division.

Substitute Amy Gallacher came closest to netting a winner, passing up a glorious opportunity to score her first international goal by missing the target from close range.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side finish the campaign by welcoming European champions England to Hampden on Tuesday.

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The sturdy start from Scotland showed no sign of a side who were winless in their past four. There was a speed and slickness to their play, exploiting the sizeable spaces the Belgians were willing to leave in the middle of the park.

Cuthbert tested Nicky Evrard with a tame effort before Detruyer dealt an all too familiar sucker punch to the Scots with a fine finish. What was not so familiar though was the response.

With the freedom of Leuven, Cuthbert carved a beauty out of nothing, a fitting reward for the team's application to going a goal down. The heads never dropped, the intensity did not diminish.

Piling on the pressure, the towering Jenna Clark seemed destined to nod the visitors ahead. Somehow, though, her effort nestled in the roof of the net.

A wise head entered the fray as Scotland searched for the precious next goal. Hayley Lauder made her first Scotland appearance since March 2020, her 104th cap, nearly 14 years since she made her first.

Fellow substitute Gallacher nearly made it a match to remember for all but the Celtic forward squirmed a delicious chance in front of goal from a sizzling cross.

The match ended in a sour note for Cuthbert and Scotland as she left the field following a facial knock.

Player of the match - Erin CuthbertThe attacker (left) dragged Scotland back into the contest and was tidy in possession before going off injured late onWhat's next?

Scotland host England at Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) in their final group game, while Belgium travel to take on Netherlands at the same time.

    Line-upsMatch Stats

Line-upsBelgium

Formation 5-3-2

1Evrard11Cayman4Tysiak6De Caigny19Kees22Deloose10Vanhaevermaet20Detruyer23Missipo14Blom9Wullaert

    1Evrard11Cayman4Tysiak6De Caigny19Kees22Deloose10Vanhaevermaet20DetruyerSubstituted forDelacauwat 69'minutes23Missipo14BlomSubstituted forJanssensat 69'minutes9Wullaert

Substitutes

    2Philtjens3Van Belle5Wijnants7Iliano8Delacauw12Lemey13Daniels15Vangheluwe17Janssens18Littel21Lichtfus

Scotland

Formation 3-1-4-2

21MacIver4Corsie15Clark2Docherty8Kerr11Evans6MacLean22Cuthbert7Brown18Emslie20Thomas

    21MacIver4CorsieBooked at 52mins15Clark2Docherty8Kerr11EvansSubstituted forDavidsonat 81'minutes6MacLeanSubstituted forGallacherat 69'minutes22Cuthbert7BrownSubstituted forLauderat 69'minutes18EmslieSubstituted forHansonat 58'minutes20ThomasSubstituted forHarrisonat 58'minutes

Substitutes

    1Gibson3Mukandi5Howard9Gallacher10Hanson12Fife13Lauder14McLauchlan16Rodgers17Harrison19Davidson23Napier

Referee:Olatz Rivera OlmedoMatch StatsHome TeamBelgiumAway TeamScotlandPossessionHome45%Away55%ShotsHome9Away9Shots on TargetHome3Away2CornersHome3Away6FoulsHome10Away10helpHow to play

Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.

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Source: bbc.com