Dykes and McLean strike late for epic Scottish smash and grab in Norway

Erling Haaland opened the scoring with his 59th of the season from the spot, but Scotland turned it round

Scotland's Kenny McLean (left) celebrate with John McGinn after scoring their side's second goal of the game during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying Group A match at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo. Picture date: Saturday June 17, 2023.

Euro 2024 qualifying: Norway 1 Scotland 2

What a finish to give Scotland a classic smash-and-grab victory and send their fans into the sun-dappled Oslo evening ready to party all night. With three minutes of normal time left Steve Clarke’s side trailed to Erling Haaland’s 59th goal of the season and were staring at their first defeat of Euro 2024 qualifying. But then came a showstopping close that cast Haaland’s penalty as immaterial.

First Lyndon Dykes poked home the equaliser after John McGinn probed. Then a sweeping Scott McTominay ball was tapped from McGinn to Dykes, who teed up Kenny McLean. The substitute fired in to send the Tartan Army into ecstasy.

After the victories against Cyprus and Spain, Clarke talked of how achieving a result on the road against foes such as Norway would mark further development in his national project. Well, he has such a result now after a tentative outing from his players that, before their late show, seemed to answer the fundamental question of this meeting.

Would Clarke’s team be a confidence-fuelled proposition that Norway, led by Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, could not subdue, or might the hosts’ talismans take them to a first victory in Group A? The prize for the visitors was mastery of their destiny if they left with a victory that, due to it being on the road, would be as precious as the downing of Spain last time out at Hampden Park.

In 33C pitchside heat the strategy was to sit deep and ask Stale Solbakken’s men to try to dismantle them. Twice this nearly occurred as Scotland escaped. In a first flowing Norway move Patrick Berg fed Ødegaard, who found the overlapping Julian Ryerson. The right-back lifted the ball in Haaland’s general direction but his radar was awry.

Ola Solbakken, marauding down the left, was more exact: up went a cross that invited Alexander Sørloth to head past Angus Gunn, but he could only find the goalkeeper.

The contest had warmed and Scotland counterpunched. A Scott McTominay corner from the left fizzed in and out of Norway’s area and his side claimed a second kick, on the right this time. John McGinn stabbed it into the danger area and Ørjan Nyland rose to clutch the ball.

McGinn then went close to an opener before the interval, his shot blocked by a flailing Stefan Strandberg, before the half closed with Jack Hendry sighing in relief. After manhandling Haaland to the ground the centre-back received only a yellow card, even though the striker would have been in on goal if he had not been impeded.

Haaland, quiet thus far, turned and teed up Solkbakken – his effort was simple for Gunn, as was McGinn’s longer-range attempt for Nyland to gather. Scotland had Norway where they wanted: needing to take more risks to break the stalemate as the clock ticked on.

Hendry soon enjoyed a second moment of fortune which, again, involved Haaland, who danced and shimmied into Scotland’s area. Hendry seemed to take him down but Matej Jug, the Slovenian referee, was not interested.

Norway were unhappy and would have been even more incensed if, moments afterwards, a Robertson surge had breached them. It did not and the home side then struck via a penalty. It came when a raid down their right allowed Sørloth to feed the ball into the area. Ryan Porteous put Haaland on the floor and Jug pointed to the spot.

The lethal centre-forward beat Gunn to the latter’s right with only his 13th touch of the match. Haaland, his teammates and the Norway faithful were jubilant. The 22-year-old’s next act was a rampage through the middle after a lay-off, but no return pass arrived.

When Haaland was taken off in the 84th minute it was a pleasing sight for Scotland, but not as welcome as what was about to happen.

NORWAY (4-3-3): Nyland; Ryerson, Strandberg, Ostigard, Meling; Odegaard, Berg (Larsen 84), Aursnes (Thorstvedt 84); Sorloth (Elyounoussi 79), Haaland (Dæhli 84), Solbakken (Berge 63)

SCOTLAND (5-4-1): Gunn; Hickey, Porteous (McLean 79), Hendry, Tierney (Cooper 65), Robertson; Christie (Armstrong 78), McTominay, McGregor (Gilmour 78), McGinn (Hyam 90); Dykes

Guardian