41 min As things stand, Croatia are ahead of Scotland only on goals scored. Away goals no longer count in head-to-heads, which is why other tiebreakers need to be used. Croatia beat Scotland 2-1 in the first game, Scotland won 1-0 on Friday night.

While Scotland remain third in the group, it is truly, madly, deeply, undeniably, demonstrably, incontroveribly ON!!!

38 min Gordon makes another fine save, this time with his right foot, to keep out a low shot from Buksa. Scotland were suddenly exposed when Szymanski found space between the lines. He drew defenders towards him and teed up Buksa, whose shot was kicked behind by Gordon.

Goal given! Croatia 0-1 Portugal

37 min A replay of Gilmour’s shot suggests it took a slight deflection off a defender, which would explain the dramatic dip onto the crossbar.

VAR check: Croatia 0-1 Portugal There’s a never-ending VAR check going on in Split.

36 min Now it’s McTomigol’s turn to threaten. Doak curled a clever pass around Kiwior to find McTominay, who knocked the bouncing ball past Walukiewicz and pinged a low shot from 20 yards that was kicked away by Skorupski. Really good effort from McTominay, who had to take the short early with Piatkowski coming around.

GOAL! Croatia 0-1 Portugal (Joao Felix 33)

Gilmour hits the bar!

33 min: Good effort by Dykes! Doak scurries down the right and crosses early to Dykes, back to goal 15 yards out. He turns smartly and spanks a shot that brushes the side netting at the near post. The keeper had it covered I think.

30 min Kenny McLean is booked for a foul on Szymanski. Scotland now have six players who are a yellow card away from missing the next game, if there is one.

29 min No news is good news for Scotland, who have had something resembling a breather for the last couple of minutes.

27 min Szymanski curls a decent effort from 25 yards that drifts not far wide. Poland have been the better team, certainly in the last 15 minutes.

23 min: Excellent save by Gordon! Swiderski runs onto a long ball over the top, controls the ball in mid air and screws a shot that is really well blocked by the outrushing Gordon. That’s his best save so far.

22 min McGinn barrels forward on the break, past two players, and finds McTominay. He plays an angled pass to Doak, who half-beats his man with a stepover but then dribbles a shot into the arms of Skorupski. Another really promising run for Doak, even if the finish wasn’t great.

21 min It feels like a goal is coming. The underlapping Zielinski gets away on the left of the area and cuts the ball back towards Szymanski (I think). His mishit half-volley across goal is booted away by somebody on the six-yard line.

20 min This is a good spell for Poland, who are pinning Scotland back and winning plenty of set pieces in the final third.

18 min: Swiderski misses a great chance! A very risky crossfield pass from Robertson is intercepted and pushed first time towards Zwaderski on the edge of the area. He’s through on Gordon, no defender near him, but crashes a shot into the side netting at the near post.

The ‘at the near post’ is entirely redundant there, isn’t it. Not even Roy Race could crash an off-target shot into the side netting at the far post.

17 min That early goal was John McGinn’s 20th for his country, taking him past Ally McCoist. Only Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish, Hughie Gallacher and Lawrie Reilly have scored more.

15 min Still goalless between Croatia and Portugal in Split. The permutations are complicated, even by permutations’ standards, but as things stand Scotland are third in the group.

13 min Poland appeal for a penalty when a corner is flicked on at the near post and hits the hand of Gilmour. It was right in front of his face and, while you never quite know with handball in Uefa competitions, it looks like it’s been cleared by VAR.

11 min: Good save by Gordon! A better effort from Piatkowski, a rising drive from 25 yards, is tipped off to his left by Gordon.

10 min Kaminski cuts inside dangerously from the right but shoots straight at Gordon from the edge of the area. It’s end-to-end stuff, really exciting.

7 min Ben Doak, bloody hell! He absolutely roasts Zalewski on the left, gets to the byline in the area and slides a low cross that is kicked away. For a split-second it looked like Zalewski was going to bundle him over for a penalty.

It’s not just that Scotland may have found one that is so exciting; it’s that he’s a proper old-fashioned Scottish winger.

What a fine goal, made by two of Scotland’s brightest young things. Gilmour fired a brilliant pass between the lines to find Doak on the edge of the area. He got his head up and laid the ball back invitingly to McGinn, who dragged a precise first-time shot into the bottom corner with his right foot. Superb goal!

GOAL! Poland 0-1 Scotland (McGinn 3)

2 min Szymanski makes a really dangerous off-the-ball run, beyond the centre halves, and it needs Robertson to come across and make an important challenge. Actually, replays show Robertson was the reason Szymanski was onside in the first place so let’s not overdo the praise eh.

1 min Peep peep! The match is under way.

Mood music

Look, it’s dead simple: Scotland have to win. They just don’t know what the prize will be if they do.

Five of the Scotland XI are on a yellow card, which means another booking would rule them out ofthe first leg of a potential relegation playoff. They are: Anthony Ralston, Andy Robertson, Scott McTomigol, Grant Hanley and Billy Gilmour.

Five of the Scotland XI are on a yellow card, which means another booking would rule them out of the quarter-final if Sc- no, I can’t go there, this is getting silly.

Let’s try again.

Ben Doak’s performance on Friday night was missing only one thing.

Imagine if somebody did this now. My favourite bit is the matter-of-fact way the commentator Arthur Montford says, “Murray having a seat on the ball”, as if it was as commonplace as a throw-in.

Read Ewan Murray on Ben Doak

Doak has searing pace and a direct style that appeals to the paying punter. What you see is what you get. His working-class roots are a welcome antidote to the sense football has become overpriced or unappealing to that group in society. Supporters can relate to Doak’s personality and approach to the game. But he is also hugely effective; Josko Gvardiol looked terrified at times in Glasgow.

Team news

The state of play in Group A1

1. Portugal 13pts

2. Croatia 7

3. Poland 4 (GD-6)

4. Scotland 4 (-2)

Scotland’s goal difference is superior, mainly because Poland were walloped 5-1 in Portugal, but the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record so they are in third place. It also means they can’t go above Croatia – but Scotland can if they win and Portugal beat Croatia by in Split.

Hang on, the quarter-finals of the Nations League: when did that happen? It’ll be a 32-team jamboree by 2031, mark our words.

Preamble