Next up for Scotland: Georgia at Hampden on Tuesday night. I’ll leave you with Jamie Jackson’s match report. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
Live feed
Key events
The captain Andy Robertson, who was superb at both ends of the pitch, speaks
We’ve got a really excited changing room. It’s the hottest conditions we’ve played in for a long time – the heat was incredible – so we knew our bench would come into play. The lads who came on did so well.
We went into camp last week. It was tough work to be fair! Boys finished at different times of the season, so it was trying to get the balance right between fitness and freshness. Then we got the weekend off, came back this week and we’ve just been preparing for this game. I think we prepared pretty perfectly.
The big thing is that we didn’t panic when we went 1-0 down. They probably dropped off a bit which played to our advantage. We started getting on the ball. We brought on wee Billy [Gilmour], who’s been magnificent in the last 6-8 weeks for Brighton. In training he’s been so good this week, and then he brought it on the pitch. Kenny comes on and scores such a vital goal. That’s what it’s so important we’ve got the whole squad.
When we scored one, I just had a feeling we might get another one. It happened so quick. The team spirit is second to none, it’s so good. To create that in international football is quite unique, but we’ve got it. We always socialise, we always try and do things together as a country, and I think you can see that on the field.
We’ve got a massive country. We couldn’t have started this campaign much better, but we have to use it to our advantage. We have to qualify now.
“If Scotland received an ‘intravenous hit of belief’,” says Ian Copestake, “then Norway have been left outside A&E while Perfect Day plays.”
Haha. Imagine Haaland as Renton, when Pep leaves him out of a League Cup game at home to Gillingham. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Pep, I really do…”
“I admit, I let out a long, weary sigh when I saw McLean coming on,” says James Humphries. “Guess that’s why I’m not an international football coach, eh?”
Sometimes, humble pie tastes more delicious than anything in the world. Even lutefisk.
The champagne moments
LYNDON DYKES! 🏴🔥
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 17, 2023
The @QPR man pokes the ball into the net for the equaliser against Norway 👏#EURO2024 | #NORSCO | @ScotlandNT pic.twitter.com/BzHPecHmAh
SCOTLAND HAVE DONE IT! 🏴
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 17, 2023
Two goals in three minutes and Kenny McLean has scored what could be a historic winner 😱😱#EURO2024 | #NORSCO | @ScotlandNT pic.twitter.com/WxVYhC2x8V
“Wow,” says Simon McMahon. “That’s a helluva win for Scotland, Rob. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is not normally the Scottish way of doing things. Quite the opposite, in fact. Would seem harder now not to qualify, though if any team can… Ach, stop it. Football, eh? Bloody hell.”
Martin Odegaard is disconsolate; all the Norway players are. They’ve been mugged in their own home. Norway dominated the game throughout, albeit without creating too many clear chances, and took the lead through a penalty from the inevitable Erling Haaland. Then they took Haaland off in the 84th minute, and it all went wrong, big time.
Lyndon Dykes pilfered an equaliser after a defensive mix-up, then Kenny McLean scored a delightful goal to give Scotland an unbelievable victory. There’s work to do, and Scotland fans will never assume, but this has been an unimaginably good start to the qualification. They’ve beaten Cyprus, Spain and now Norway, which puts them eight points clear of Norway in the (theoretical) race for second.
Full time: Norway 1-2 Scotland
Three games, nine points: Scotland are closing in on a place at Euro 2024, already.
90+5 min Ryerson’s cross is cut out by the stretching Robertson. Norway come again…
90+4 min Talk about seizing the moment. Scotland were poor going forward for 87 minutes, and that’s being kind, but the unexpected equaliser gave them an intravenous hit of belief and they charged forward in pursuit of a winner.
90+3 min Free-kick to Norway 30 yards from goal. Odegaard tries to play it out to the left-back Meling – and overhits it for a goalkick! Blimey.
90 min There will be six minutes of added time. John McGinn is replaced by the debutant Dominic Hyam.
A reminder that Norway took Erling Haaland off at 1-0.
This is spine-tingling stuff! Kenny McLean has given Scotland the lead with a marvellous team goal! McTominay, on the right, arrowed a long cross towards McGinn on the far side of the area. McGinn reversed it instantly to Dyche, who laid it off carefully to the onrushing McLean. He opened his body to slide an almost nonchalant right-footed curler through the crowd of defenders. It shimmered all along the ground and into the far corner; Nyland had no chance.
Two first-time passes and then an immaculate first-time finish. What a brilliant goal!
GOAL! Norway 1-2 Scotland (McLean 89)
I can’t spake!!!!
That came out of nothing. McGinn’s through pass towards McLean was cut out well on the edge of the area by Ostigard, but then all the Norway defenders left the loose ball to each other. That allowed Dykes, always on the lookout for scraps, to galumph into the area and flick the ball slowly, beautifully past the outrushing Nyland.
Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
GOAL! Norway 1-1 Scotland (Dykes 87)
A huge goal for Scotland!
86 min Steve Clarke is unhappy that Ryerson isn’t booked for pulling back McGinn and stalling a Scotland break. He’s probably got a point.
85 min Odegaard turns majestically in the area and hits a right-footed stinger that is blocked by Hendry.
84 min: Triple substitution for Norway Jorgen Larsen, Mats Moller Daehli and Kristian Thorstvedt (son of Erik) replace Patrick Berg, Fredrik Aursnes and Erling Haaland. Why would you take him off? I didn’t realise Ben Stokes was Norway manager.
82 min Haaland deliberately flattens Hickey and is a bit fortunate not to be booked.
79 min: Norway substitution Mohamed Elyounoussi comes on for Alexander Sorloth.
78 min: Scotland substitutions x3 Billy Gilmour, Kenny McLean and Stuart Armstrong replace Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Ryan Porteous.
76 min Robertson is back on and seems okay. But Scotland don’t look like scoring I’m afraid. Their only shot on target was by McGinn just after half-time.
74 min In fact Robertson was caught on his left achilles by Sorloth as they competed for a loose ball. He’s still being treated.
73 min Andy Robertson is down, which is an obvious worry for Scotland. It looks like an ankle problem.
70 min: Chance for Norway! Aursnes’s inswinging corner is headed across goal and wide by Berge, eight yards out. He was moving slightly away from goal but it was still a really good opportunity.
70 min Sorloth cuts inside from the right, just outside the area, and hits a curling shot that nicks off Cooper’s shoulder and flies this far wide of the far post.
69 min “Your update about the boiling and roasting weather made me dust off my copy of the Gilberto Gil album O Sol de Oslo (The Sun of Oslo),” writes Peter Oh. “It’s now soundtracking your blog here under the warming morning sun of Northern California.
“I hope the Scotland players have applied plenty of sunblock with a high HPF – Haaland Protection Factor.”
68 min Scotland have had loads more possession since Haaland’s goal, such is human nature. For now it’s all in front of the Norway defence.
Erling Haaland makes the difference for the opening goal 🇳🇴
— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) June 17, 2023
Ryan Porteous brings down the @ManCity striker to give away the penalty, and he makes no mistake from there 💥#EURO2024 | #NORSCO pic.twitter.com/rXtgtRoK9k
67 min Hickey seems to be fouled 25 yards out in a central position, but the referee isn’t interested. He hasn’t had a great game.