Scotland v Ukraine result - Ukraine win to set up Wales clash

Ukraine work a shooting chance, I think for Yaremchuk again, but the square ball is behind him and he can only guide the ball well wide from 15 yards out.

They cut right through Scotland again, with a cute ball angled through to Yaremchuk again, and Gordon has to fly out and divert the ball out for a corner.

The home side win a corner, which Hanley nods over.

Ukraine absolutely slice through Scotland down the left. Yaremchuk loses it in the area and the ball breaks to Yarmolenko, who spins and bullets a shot that Gordon saves from point blank range. The ball squirms back towards goal, but Gordon gathers just in time; what a huge moment that could be!

Adams spins infield, but rather than drive forwards he tries to split the centre-halves with a ball to Dykes and puts too much on it. That was a glimmer of a chance.

Scotland's captain whips a dangerous looking cross into the area, but it comes to nought.

It's another early card for Ukraine as Malinovskyi goes through the back of Dykes. That was an ugly one.

A low cross flies through Scotland's area, where Tysgankov meets it on the half volley from 15 yards out. Gordon, at full stretch, tips it over the bar.

Yaremchuk flattens Gilmour very, very late; that's a booking.

Dykes tries to flick a long ball into the path of Adams, but Zabarnyi reads it and hacks it clear.

It's a cagey start by both teams on what is a gloriously sunny evening in Glasgow. The pitch looks dry and a little bit sticky.

We're underway.

Ukraine's anthem comes first, imbued with an understandable emotion. The players applaud the whole crowd as it finishes. Flower of Scotland follows, and oh boy is there some gusto in that too.

The players stride out onto Hampden Park, with each Ukraine player with the national flag draped around their shoulders.

It's getting lively at Hampden Park. As has been noted by many, Ukraine were unbeaten in qualifying and held world champions France to a draw in both Paris and Kiev. In between those matches, they also reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2020/Euro 2021. For their part, Scotland are unbeaten in eight in all competitions.

The players are in the tunnel now, and it won't be long.

As a form guide for the winner Wales were in Nations League action against Poland in Wroclaw, where they slipped to a 2-1 defeat, although their starting team won't be much resemblance to the one that will contest the play-off final on Sunday.

There's not much to go on here. These teams have met twice before, in qualifying for the 2008 European Championship, where each team won their home game.

For obvious reasons the international football calendar hasn’t been uppermost in the mind of Ukraine so far this year, and tonight they play their first recognised international since beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in November to make these play-offs. In recent weeks they have kept busy by playing friendlies with European club sides, beating Borussia MG and Empoli and drawing with Croatia side Rijeka. They’ve been preparing for this match in Brdo in Slovenia.

There’s no denying the upward curve in Scotland’s fortunes in recent years. They returned to tournament football for the first time in 23 years by qualifying for 2021’s Euro 2020, and then rattled off six wins on the spin in their World Cup qualifying group to finish second and make the play-offs. Manager Steve Clarke has moulded a talented young squad together, which is on the brink of qualifying for back-to-back tournaments.

There are around 4000 Ukrainian fans at Hampden Park tonight, in what is sure to be a charged atmosphere. ‘I really have mixed emotions about tonight,’ says former Scotland captain Graeme Souness on Sky Sports. He’s being very eloquent here in explaining just how difficult a match this must be to play in for both teams.

Given the curtailing of their domestic league due to the war, Ukraine will be leaning heavily on their starts that are dotted around the European leagues tonight. Benfica’s Roman Yaremchuk will be up front on his own tonight while Andriy Yarmolenko, recently released by West Ham United, wins his 107th cap. And what about this guy? Oleksandr Zinchenko produced a star turn as a substitute to win the Premier League for Manchester City just over a week ago; far more impressively, he has been an outstanding ambassador for his country in the most horrifying circumstances.