John McGinn scored twice to steer Scotland to a 2-1 victory over North Macedonia in their UEFA Nations League Group B1 clash at Hampden Park. The hard-fought win keeps manager Sebastien Pognocoli’s side in contention for a promotion play-off spot.
McGinn Secures Victory After Second-Half Drama
Following a quiet opening period, Scotland broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half. Che Adams fought hard to gain control of a long ball, enabling McGinn to charge into the penalty area and finish past the goalkeeper.
The lead proved temporary, as North Macedonia capitalized on defensive lapse during a corner kick shortly after. Elmin Rastoder rose at the near post to head past the Scottish defence and equalize.
Scotland responded and reclaimed the lead in the 74th minute. Following a VAR review, North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski was penalized for a foul on Ben Gannon-Doak inside the box. McGinn converted the subsequent penalty to restore the advantage and secure all three points.
Group Standings and Euro 2028 Build-up
The victory leaves Scotland trailing second-placed Slovenia by one point in Group B1, with Slovenia holding the tiebreaker on head-to-head records. To finish second and earn a spot in the promotion play-offs, Scotland must defeat Switzerland in their next match while hoping North Macedonia get a result against Slovenia.
Beyond the immediate group permutations, McGinn noted that the team is focusing on adapting to tactical adjustments ahead of the Euro 2028 qualifying fixtures scheduled to start next March.
“A wee bit [like hard work], we’re playing a very different style,” McGinn told BBC Scotland after the match. “It reminds me of my club team [Aston Villa] at the start of the season, it’s important we just stick together.”
The midfielder emphasized the broader importance of the tournament campaign for the team’s development. “We have got the Nations League to use as a building block towards qualifiers,” he added. “At times it wasn’t pretty, but it was an important one. [We need to show] a bit more belief.”
Scotland will wrap up their group stage schedule away against Switzerland on November 16, 2026, while North Macedonia host Slovenia on the same evening.
