England vs Scotland: Last 5 meetings | UEFA Euro 2020
This Friday, one of Euro 2020’s biggest group-stage matches will take place when England face off with Scotland at the Wembley in London.
England and Scotland’s rivalry goes back over a century, with numerous memorable matches taking place between the two neighbouring countries over the years.
In recent years, though, England and Scotland have only played each other on a handful of occasions in competitive games. On that note, let's take a look at the five most recent competitive games between England and Scotland as we build up to their latest clash.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Update on Manchester United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho, Chelsea's plans for Hakimi, and more.
#1 England 2-0 Scotland (UEFA Euro 1996)
The last time England and Scotland faced off at the Wembley in the group stage of a European Championship was back in 1996. The game produced arguably the most iconic moment in English football history outside of the Three Lions’ World Cup win in 1966, of course.
After both sides had drawn their opening group games, both England and Scotland were desperate for a win. So it came as no surprise that the first half of the match was largely cagey.
But England boss Terry Venables decided to change things up at half-time, replacing defender Stuart Pearce with midfielder Jamie Redknapp to take control in the centre of the pitch.
The move paid off, as England began to dominate and opened the scoring through an Alan Shearer header in the 53rd minute. However, with just over ten minutes remaining, Tony Adams’ reckless tackle on Gordon Durie resulted in Scotland being awarded a penalty.
It looked like England would have to settle for a draw, but keeper David Seaman pulled off a dramatic save to deny Gary McAllister from the spot.
Just moments later, the game was settled. Seaman’s goal kick sent the ball down the pitch, and a neat move between Redknapp and Darren Anderton saw Paul Gascoigne through on goal.
In one of the European Championship’s most memorable goals, ‘Gazza’ flicked the ball over defender Colin Hendry before volleying past Andy Goram and into the Scottish net.
England’s longest-serving rivals had been put to the sword, and Gascoigne’s famous ‘dentist’s chair’ celebration entered English football folklore, making ‘Gazza’ a lifelong cult hero with England fans.
#2 Scotland 0-2 England (UEFA Euro 2000 Qualifiers)
When England botched their qualifying campaign for Euro 2000 and ended up in the playoffs, it felt like destiny that they’d be drawn with Scotland.
But despite being in poor form under boss Kevin Keegan, the Three Lions were able to silence Hampden Park in the first leg of the tie, winning 0-2, thanks to a brace from Manchester United’s Paul Scholes.
Scholes opened the scoring after just 21 minutes, collecting a long pass from Sol Campbell on his chest and wrong-footing Colin Hendry before firing home. Twenty minutes later, he doubled England’s lead with a beautiful header from a David Beckham free-kick.
The game settled down in the second half, as England decided to protect their lead, which was uncharacteristic of Keegan’s management style. Despite finishing with more shots on goal, Scotland simply lacked the quality to break their rivals down.
Overall, their performance was quite unconvincing, but England had put one foot firmly at Euro 2000 with the win.
Also Read: Strongest possible starting XI for England | UEFA Euro 2020.