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Spain vs. Scotland head-to-head record

sportsmole.co.uk, 11 October 2023, 15:06
Scotland could become the first team to qualify for Euro 2024 on Thursday when they travel to Seville to take on Spain.

Steve Clarke's side have enjoyed a dream qualification campaign so far, sitting top of Group A with five wins from five games and having conceded just one goal.

The Tartan Army only need to avoid defeat in Seville in order to book their place on the plane to Germany, with a six-point lead over second-placed Spain and an eight-point advantage over third-placed Norway heading into the match.

Picking up a positive result away to Spain is no mean feat, of course, but Scotland will be full of confidence having already claimed the scalp of the three-time European Championship winners in the reverse fixture.

A repeat of that result would put the cherry on top of a run of form which has surpassed even the wildest expectations for Scotland, but Spain still have work to do themselves in order to ensure that they avoid becoming a high-profile absentee in Germany.

Ahead of the crucial tie, Sports Mole looks back at the previous head-to-head record between the two sides.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

Matches: 14

Spain wins: 6

Draws: 4

Scotland wins: 4

Thursday's match will be the 15th meeting between these two nations, and unsurprisingly it is Spain who edge the overall head-to-head record with six wins to Scotland's four.

Scotland have the current bragging rights over their more illustrious opponents though, having secured a famous 2-0 win at Hampden Park in March courtesy of Scott McTominay's brace.

That was the first time Scotland had beaten Spain for almost 40 years, ending a five-match winless streak which stretched back to a 3-1 triumph during qualifying for the 1986 World Cup.

Kenny Dalglish was amongst the scorers that day in 1984, but he was absent for the return match three months later as Spain won 1-0 - in Seville, incidentally - to begin their 39-year unbeaten run.

The two sides were also drawn alongside each other in Euro 2012 qualifying, when Spain - defending European and world champions at the time, and en route to successfully retaining their title at Euro 2012 - won 3-2 away and 3-1 at home, boasting scorers of the ilk of David Villa, Andres Iniesta and David Silva.

Not since 1963 have Scotland won away to Spain, but that triumph at the Bernabeu in Madrid was a memorable one as they romped to a 6-2 win against a side that would be crowned European champions the following year, with Denis Law, Frank McLintock and Dave Gibson among the scorers.

Indeed that remains Scotland's only away win against Spain from seven previous trips, and they have also lost both of their previous games in Seville - the aforementioned World Cup qualifier in 1985 and a 4-1 loss to Brazil's legendary team at the 1982 World Cup.

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