England vs Scotland prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Euro 2020
Friday evening sees a huge showdown in Euro 2020’s Group D, as England host Scotland at Wembley.
England and Scotland have the oldest rivalry in football history, but this game is bigger than most, being their first clash in a major tournament since 1996.
Will England win and qualify for the knockout stages or will Scotland spring an upset and keep their hopes of escaping the group stage alive?
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England vs Scotland Head-to-Head
England got their Euro 2020 campaign off to a winning start last Sunday by defeating 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia 1-0.
Incredibly, the victory was the first time England had ever won their opening game in the European Championships.
The win means England’s unbeaten streak now stretches to seven games, and they’ll be hoping to keep that momentum going in this encounter.
Meanwhile, Scotland suffered a devastating defeat upon their return to a major tournament on Monday.
Despite dominating portions of the game, they fell to the Czech Republic 2-0 at Hampden Park, with Patrik Schick’s second goal – a shot from the halfway line – instantly going viral.
The loss leaves Scotland likely needing a win here to escape the group stages, although Euro 2020’s format does mean a loss wouldn’t eliminate them from the tournament.
With games dating back to 1872, England vs Scotland is one of the most storied rivalries in football, and it’s a closer one than some might expect.
England have 48 wins over Scotland, but have also suffered 41 losses to their rivals. There have also been 25 draws between the two – including their last meeting in June 2017 which ended 2-2.
Most pertinently though, the two sides met in the group stage of Euro 1996, with England coming away with a famous 2-0 victory.
England form guide: W-W-W-W-W
Scotland form guide: D-W-D-W-L
England vs Scotland Team News
England
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is still unavailable due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, backup goalkeeper Dean Henderson is out of the squad altogether and has been replaced by Aaron Ramsdale.
Jordan Henderson is now fit, but is unlikely to be handed a start in this encounter.
Injured: Dean Henderson
Doubtful: Harry Maguire
Suspended: None
Scotland
Scotland should be able to welcome back Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney after he missed out on the Czech Republic game with a slight injury. Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour is a doubt for this one.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Billy Gilmour
Suspended: None
England vs Scotland Predicted XI
England predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford, Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane
Scotland predicted XI (3-5-2): David Marshall, Jack Hendry, Grant Hanley, Kieran Tierney, James Forrest, John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Stuart Armstrong, Andrew Robertson, Lyndon Dykes, Che Adams
England vs Scotland Prediction
This game should be full of blood and thunder and may be more akin to a Premier League fixture than a major international one – meaning anything can happen.
With that said, England have a far stronger squad than Scotland and have performed far better than their rivals in their opening Euro 2020 game.
Scotland looked rather toothless against the Czech Republic, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to break England’s defense down. At the back, Scotland likely won’t be capable of keeping England’s attack quiet for too long.
This should be a win for England.
Prediction: England 2-0 Scotland