Greece v Scotland live: Team news and line-ups for World Cup 2026 qualifier tonight

Scotland secured at least a play-off when they beat Greece and Belarus at Hampden last month, but they will need to improve on both performances to stand a chance of sealing automatic qualification.

With Group C leaders Denmark almost certain to beat Belarus at home, Scotland will need a point at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in order to set up a winner-takes-all clash with the Danes at Hampden next Tuesday.

Clarke said: “The last time was a Thursday-Sunday camp, so you don’t get a hell of a lot of time on the training pitch.

“So this time we’ve had more time on the pitch, a chance to discuss a few things that we feel we can do better, and hopefully you see the fruits of that in the next two games.”

With goal difference heavily stacked in Denmark’s favour, a draw in Greece would effectively be as good as a win for Scotland, but Clarke insists that will not affect his tactics.

“My approach is always the same every game: I prepare my teams to win,” he said. “If you prepare to win and you play as well as you can, most of the times you don’t lose.”

Earlier, A disappointed Jeremy Doku said Belgium have not been good enough in most of their World Cup qualifiers, even though they have the routine task of needing to beat tiny Liechtenstein at home on Tuesday to secure a berth at next year’s finals.

Belgium could have booked their place today with an away win in Kazakhstan but played out a 1-1 draw to delay confirming their qualification.

Doku, who was one of Belgium’s better players, was particularly critical of his own team’s showing.

“It’s a lack of efficiency. We didn’t win against Kazakhstan, so we absolutely can’t be satisfied,” he said.

“We’ve already dropped too many points because we weren’t good enough in a large number of matches. Our campaign hasn’t gone well, no. Everyone needs to do better. The coach, me, everyone.”

The midfielder tells BBC Scotland: “We need to perform better [than against Belarus]. It’ll be a difficult game. I don’t know if it makes too much of a difference that Greece are out [of World Cup qualification]. We’re still expecting a really difficult game. They know us well and we know them well.

“We’re approaching this game to go and win it. albeit a draw will be enough, but the mindset and the message from the manager, the feeling around the players is that we’re coming here to win the game.”

The two line-ups in full:

Greece XI: Vlachodimos, Vagiannidis, Retsos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Kourbelis, Mouzakitis, Karetsas, Bakasetas, Tzolis, Pavlidis.

Subs: Tzolakis, Mandas, Michailidis, Masouras, Kostoulas, Rota, Triantis, Hatzidiakos, Tetteh, Mantalos, Siopis.

Scotland XI: Gordon, Hickey, Hanley, Souttar, Robertson, Ferguson, Christie, McGinn, McTominay, Gannon-Doak, Adams.

Subs: Kelly, Bain, Tierney, Irving, Dykes, Hendry, Barron, McKenna, Hirst, Shankland, Ralston, McLean.

Here it is – Craig Gordon starts at the ripe old age of 42.

Scotland XI: Gordon, Hickey, Hanley, Souttar, Robertson, Ferguson, Christie, McGinn, McTominay, Gannon-Doak, Adams.

Teams dropping shortly…

“Craig’s good,” said Clarke, who took his squad to Turkey to prepare for a game Scotland cannot afford to lose.

“Liam’s the same. Not playing at Rangers, but working ever so hard, training great.

“Scott Bain’s come into the squad and shown that he’s benefited from coming out of Celtic as the third goalkeeper and playing at Falkirk week in, week out.

“It’s been good. (Goalkeeping coach) Chris Woods is happy with the three of them. It’s a slightly different mindset that goalkeepers have got because only one of them can play.

“You’ve got 10 outfield players and one goalie. So they know that when they’re the number two at the club or the number three, whatever, even if they’re the number four at the club, they know that they have to work well every day in training. They have to prepare as well as they can prepare.

“As long as they’re training flat out and concentrating fully on what they’re doing, they should be ready to play.”

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke is confident in his goalkeeping options after making his choice ahead of this crucial World Cup qualifier in Greece.

Clarke was giving nothing away in his pre-match media conference in Piraeus but Craig Gordon is the likeliest replacement for the injured Angus Gunn based on his experience.

The Hearts goalkeeper has not played this season and turns 43 next month, but he is fully fit after recovering from the injury that forced him out towards the end of last season and his 81 caps put him far ahead of Liam Kelly, who has played once for Rangers this season, and Scott Bain, who is back in regular action for Falkirk after years as a Celtic understudy.

Gordon; Hickey, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, Christie; McGinn; Adams.

Billy Gilmour has been ruled out of the trip to Greece but could face Denmark on Tuesday. Lennon Miller has also been ruled out but Ryan Christie and Lewis Ferguson are back from suspension and Aaron Hickey returned from injury in Brentford’s win over Newcastle.