Serbia 1-1 Scotland (4-5 on pens): Shootout sends Scots to Euro 2020 and ends 22 years of hurt

David Marshall made a decisive penalty shootout save from Aleksandar Mitrovic to send Scotland to their first major tournament for 22 years.

A Ryan Christie goal looked to have given Scotland the win they needed to clinch Euro 2020 qualification with a 1-0 win over Serbia only for Luka Jovic to score a dramatic late equaliser to send the match into extra time.

Until then Steve Clarke’s side had produced a well-organised, disciplined performance in Belgrade, with the opener coming after 52 minutes when Callum McGregor found Christie on the edge of the box with a pass. The Celtic attacker turned his man and sent a low shot on the reverse into the back of the net via the inside of the post.

Serbia applied pressure to find an equaliser and their pressure told in the end, with substitute Jovic getting on the end of a corner kick to head home with only 150 seconds of the match to be played.

Clarke’s late substitutions robbed Scotland of an attacking outlet, with Lyndon Dykes, Christie and John McGinn all withdrawn. Serbia went in search of a winner in extra time, but couldn’t find one as the contest went to a shootout.

Scotland scored all five of their penalties in the shootout, with Marshall making the crucial save to end the country’s long, long wait for a major tournament. They can now look forward to a mouth-watering clash against England in Group D, with Croatia and Czech Republic also lying in wait next summer.

At long last, Scotland’s wait for qualification is over. At times over the past 22 years, since the 1998 World Cup, it has seemed that Scotland are cursed. They have come so close to making a major tournament so many times before, but missed out through bad fortune or a fatalist attitude. That curse has now been lifted. Scotland will be at the European Championships next summer and Clarke’s men have earned their place. They deserve this.

Ryan Christie (Scotland): There were a number of standout performers for Scotland, with Declan Gallagher, McGinn, Dykes and McGregor all playing well, but it was Christie who made the biggest difference. The Celtic man was quiet in the first half, but came alive in the second period, scoring the goal that looked to have sent Scotland to the Euros. If Clarke made one mistake, it was in withdrawing Christie too early in the game when he should have been kept on to give his side an outlet.

Serbia: Rajkovic 7, Milenkovic 6, S. Mitrovic 5, Gudelj 7, Lazovic 6, Kostic 5, Maksimovic 5, Lukic 7, Milinkovic-Savic 7, Tadic 6, Mitrovic 5. Subs: Katai 7, Spajic 5, Mladenovic 6, Jovic 8.

Scotland: Marshall 8, O'Donnell 7, Robertson 6, McTominay 5, Gallagher 8, Tierney 6, McGinn 8, Jack 7, McGregor 8, Christie 8, Dykes 8. Subs: McLean 5, Griffiths 4, Paterson 4, McBurnie 5.

52’ - GOAL Serbia 0-1 Scotland (Christie): Scotland have scored! It's in the back of the net! Christie takes the shot from 20 yards out and beats Rajkovic off the inside of the post! An excellent reverse finish from the Scotland attacker! What a massive, massive goal that could be!

90’ - GOAL! Serbia 1-1 Scotland (Jovic): It's a late, late, late equaliser! Heartbreak for Scotland! Jovic gets on the end of a corner kick delivery into the middle, he heads down into the ground and the ball bounces back up and into the top corner of Marshall's net! Are we heading for extra time?

PENALTIES - MARSHALL SAVES FROM MITROVIC! SCOTLAND HAVE WON ON PENALTIES! SCOTLAND ARE GOING TO THE EUROS!