Kick-off: 1945, 12/10/2023
Stadium: Estadio La Cartuja
TV: Viaplay Sports
Scotland are on the verge of qualifying for Euro 2024 after a perfect five victories from five and can progress without gaining a point in their final three games if Norway do not win all of their remaining fixtures.
Steve Clarke’s side face their toughest test in Group A qualification when they travel to Seville against a Spanish outfit who have only tasted defeat to Scotland at Hampden Park in March.
La Roja will be looking to avenge that loss and having won three of their last four home matches by a two-goal margin or greater, a -1 handicap victory for the hosts – priced at 17/20 – is our first prediction.
De La Fuente driving Spain forward
Spain are in pole position to join Scotland for Euro 2024 in Germany after gaining nine points from their four qualification matches.
Only the top two will progress and, with Norway on seven points from five games, Spain can boost their chances with a home victory against the Scots at Estadio La Cartuja.
Head coach Luis De La Fuente came under severe pressure following Spain’s 2-0 defeat at Scotland in March but they have since won the Nations League and battered Georgia and Cyprus in Euro 2024 Group A qualification.
“We are playing for the mathematical qualification for the European Championship and that is what matters,” De La Fuente said.
“You always learn and we did from the match against Scotland. We learned the lesson and evolved. They were and still are a very tough team but we are not the same as in March or June.”
Yeremy Pino, Gavi and Alvaro Morata have scored the first goal in three of the last four La Roja fixtures – the other was a goalless draw – and all within the first 30 minutes, so Scotland will need to be wary of a fast start in Seville.
It is 13/10 for this sequence to happen again, which is the second selection from the Spain vs Scotland odds.
Carver looking for sweet win
Scotland know just one victory from Thursday’s trip to Spain and November’s visit to Georgia before the final qualifying clash with Norway at home will book their place on the plane to Germany.
The match between the Scots and Spain will have an added edge after comments made by Manchester City midfielder Rodri following the Hampden Park defeat in March.
Spain captain Rodri claimed Scotland were “rubbish” as he accused them of wasting time, provoking his team-mates and falling over, which has irked Scotland assistant boss John Carver.
He said: “I have got to be honest, I didn’t like it. I felt it was disrespectful. But it was their prerogative to say whatever they wanted to say. Whether they used that as an excuse, I don’t know.
“As far I was concerned, it agitated me and I’m sure it would have got to some of the players.
“Any win is sweet and you celebrate it for sure but after what they said it would be nice to win.”
Scotland have been in rich goalscoring form, having failed to find the net in only two of their last 12 matches. The most recent blank came in a goalless draw against Ukraine in September 2022.
With this in mind, the both teams to score market is priced at 11/10 and is our final Spain vs Scotland prediction.
Additional stats
Last result:
SPAIN 6-0 Cyprus – Gavi, Merino, Joselu, Torres (2), Baena
SCOTLAND 1-3 England – Maguire own goal
Head-to-head: Scotland 2-0 Spain, Spain 3-1 Scotland, Scotland 2-3 Spain, Spain 1-1 Scotland, Scotland 1-2 Spain
Join bwin today and receive up to £20 money back as a FreeBet if your first wager (3+ selections at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater) is a loser! Terms and conditions apply.
