Scotland hoping to avoid Nations League relegation in Poland test – follow live

Speaking after his side’s win over Croatia, Steve Clarke said that he is “still a little bit uptight”.

“The first job is to go there and win. We’ll count up the goals and whatever else afterwards.

“Let’s take it one step at a time, it’s been a hell of a long time since we got a win so it’d be nice to get another.

“For me the pressure is not released. I still feel a little bit uptight.

“Just with the nature of the game when it’s so tight going into the end you’re always waiting on that low blow that’s affected us a few times recently.”

“The sending off changed the game,” he conceded, before adding that “this is a group of players that want to be successful”.

“That’s another clean sheet, two in a row. If you don’t concede goals you always have a chance to win the game.”

This will be the 13th meeting between these two sides, with the first taking place in June 1958. Overall, Scotland have won just two, with Poland winning four and six ending as draws.

In their last meeting in September, Poland ran out 3-2 winners thanks to a last-minute penalty from Nicola Zalewski.

Poland have lost just two of their 12 meetings with Scotland in all competitions (won four and drawn six), losing friendly matches against them in June 1958 (1-2) and March 2014 (0-1).

Scotland have lost just one of their six away games against Poland in all competitions (won two and drawn three), going down 1-0 in a May 1980 friendly.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke must decide whether to start with the team that beat Croatia or mix things up.

He has already hinted he is considering resting Ben Doak despite the 19-year-old’s star turn on Friday.

John McGinn came off the bench to net the only goal and is pushing for a recall while Lyndon Dykes is a strong contender to start up front following Tommy Conway’s first start.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon is hoping to shake off illness, otherwise Robby McCrorie is in line for a debut.

To finish second, Croatia would have to lose at home to Portugal, who have handed some key players an extra few days off after sealing top position with a 5-1 win over Poland.

But this is where it starts to get complicated. Scotland and Croatia’s head-to-head record is identical, and one-goal wins in each game would leave them level on goal difference.

Scotland would need a two-goal win in either game, or to overtake them on goals scored, or away goals scored.

If all those are level, Scotland would go second courtesy of their away win in Warsaw. Theoretically of course.

In some ways, the task for Scotland is simple. They need to win to jump above Poland and avoid bottom spot in section A1. Otherwise they head back down to league B.

There is plenty else at stake. Scotland started the month among the third seeds for the World Cup qualifying draw and victory would likely take them into pot two, or even pot one.

They would need to finish second to do that, and would also qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals in the process.

Steve Clarke felt his Scotland side ended their long wait for a win with arguably their poorest performance of the UEFA Nations League campaign – but were due the break they received from Croatia’s disputed red card.

Croatia looked the more dangerous side until Petar Sucic received a second yellow card in the 44th minute for a lazy studs-up challenge on John Souttar, having earlier been booked for an innocuous foul on Billy Gilmour.

Scotland’s final ball let them down as they tried to force home the numerical advantage and Croatia even had the best second-half chance before substitute John McGinn knocked home the only goal in the 86th minute.

The match report from last time out…

John McGinn came off the bench to end Scotland’s 10-game run without a competitive victory by firing an 86th-minute winner against 10-man Croatia.

Scotland had struggled to make the most of their numerical advantage after Petar Sucic was sent off in the 44th minute.

Croatia had looked the more threatening side in the first half and still managed to create the best chances after the break before the ball fell for McGinn 12 yards out after the Croatia goalkeeper could only Ben Doak’s ambitious effort into his path.

Scotland were desperately unlucky in the reverse fixture and will be determined to get a result here after positive performances against Croatia and Portugal since September. 

Poland XI: Bulka; Piatowski, Walukiewicz, Kawior; Kaminski, Urbański, Romanczuk, Zieliński, Zalewski; Bogusz, Piatek.

Scotland XI: Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; Gilmour, McLean; Doak, McTominay, Christie; Conway.