Scotland v Norway

Scotland host Norway in the final Euro 2024 qualifying match of what has been a very successful campaign for Steve Clarke’s men. The Scots have already qualified for the finals in Germany, meaning that there is no pressure on them at Hampden Park.

Clarke’s side are winless in their last four, although their opponents in that run have been formidable. England, Spain and France have all overcome the Scots while in their last outing they were held to a 2-2 draw away in Georgia, albeit that was the first time they have avoided defeat in a country that has typically been hostile to them.

Norway, meanwhile, will feel they have a point to prove after a 2-1 defeat to the Scots in Oslo effectively ended their interest in Euro 2024. They had looked in control of that tie until goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean in the last three minutes shifted the balance of power decisively in the group.

Their subsequent response has been adequate, with five wins in six international matches. The exception, though, was a 1-0 home loss to Spain that saw them definitively eliminated.

These Scotland v Norway stats are designed to give an insight into what to expect in what promises to be a thrilling match. If you fancy any of the picks mentioned, why not add them into your Scotland v Norway bet builder?

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Scotland v Norway Cheat Sheet

This Cheat Sheet and Preview was created using predicted lineups.

You can find Scotland v Norway stats on my Bet Builder stats tool, along with official lineups one hour before kick-off.

Now, for our breakdown and preview with recommended bets…

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🔵🔴 Match stats: McGinn and McTominay the main threats

Scotland do not have a reputation for being a particularly prolific side, with John McGinn the only player in the squad who is into double figures in international goals. Scott McTominay, though, is the man in form, having netted seven times in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Meanwhile, Clarke’s side have been leaking goals at an unusually high rate in recent games, conceding at least twice in each of their last four, albeit against strong opponents. On Sunday, meanwhile, the issue will be a lack of available players, with a string of key defenders, including Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson both missing.

Norway, meanwhile, are without talisman Erling Haaland, who is missing after an injury sustained against the Faroe Islands in a friendly. Remarkably, they only have three players in their squad who have more than one international goal, with Mohamed Elyounoussi leading the way with nine. His confidence will be up after netting as Copenhagen stunned Man United 4-3 in the last round of Champions League fixtures.

Equally, the visitors have only kept one clean sheet in Euro 2024 qualifying, which is valuable knowledge for a Scotland v Norway bet builder.

This has the hallmarks of a low-scoring encounter, which is reflected in the market that has over 2.5 goals at 2.1. Scotland, though, have greater motivation to win after a recent slide in form and in front of a buoyant crowd, odds of 2.1 to get the win appear fair. Conservative bettors may favour Scotland with a +1 handicap, which is on offer at 1.25.

Predictions:

🏆 Scotland (+1 handicap) @ 1.25

🏆 Scotland to win @ 2.10

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🟨 Cards stats: Back Scotland to see yellow

The Scotland stats show that they have a tendency to pick up yellow cards at a significant rate. Only in the 3-0 away win over Cyprus have Steve Clarke’s side not had at least two players go into the book in their nine international matches this year.

Only on three occasions – twice against Cyprus and once against Spain – have their opponents seen more yellow cards than they have.

Norway stats show that they pick up fewer bookings than their opponents. In five of their seven qualifiers, they have seen fewer yellow cards than their rivals.

Scotland to receive the most cards at 2.50, therefore, looks excellent value. Clarke’s side to pick up at least two bookings at 1.67 is also a nice offer while over that figure is available at a long-looking 3.2.

Predictions:

🟨 Over 1.5 Scotland cards @ 1.67

🟨 Scotland to receive the most cards @ 2.50

🟨 Over 2.5 Scotland cards @ 3.20

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🎯 Shooting stats: Shankland aiming to make a mark

Scott McTominay is not just leading the Scotland stats in goals, he is also posting their most efforts on goal per 90 minutes, with 1.27 shots on target and 2.86 efforts overall. It is, however, worth bearing in mind that he may get reduced minutes in this game, given his increased role at Manchester United lately.

John McGinn also posts more than 2 shots per game but has not been accurate in Euro 2024 qualifying as he offers only 0.59 on target per match.

With a recent clamour for Lawrence Shankland to get some game time, it is worth monitoring the Hearts poacher, who netted the equalising goal against Georgia and has two strikes in his six international games. He is a much more obvious goal threat than Lyndon Dykes, who is typically preferred for his work ethic and physicality in attack.

Norway, as previously discussed, do not carry a major threat. Elyounoussi leads the way in terms of their shots on target at 1.11 while an interesting player to watch is Jorgen Strand Larsen, who is one of only two natural strikers in the squad, and he scored last time out against the Faroe Islands.

Predictions:

🎯 Lawrence Shankland to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.30

🚀 John McGinn to have 2+ shots @ 1.33

🎯 Jørgen Strand Larsen to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.57

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🛑 Fouls stats: Look for a midfield battle

Leading the Scotland v Norway stats in fouls approaching kick-off are bit-part Scotland players Liam Cooper and Stuart Armstrong, who post 4 and 2.5 fouls per 90 minutes respectively. There is a major question mark over whether they will play enough minutes to justify any inclusion in a Scotland v Norway bet builder, though.

As ever, the Scotland v Norway Cheat Sheet shows John McGinn as a player worth considering. While he draws 2.5 fouls per match – the most in the side – he also commits 1.76. Scott McTominay commits 1.27 fouls per 90. With both potentially used sparingly, consider backing them to commit fouls in the first half.

Scotland’s defence is set to be put under pressure by Jorgen Stand Larsen, who wins 3.33 fouls per 90. The centre-backs may, therefore, be more prone to committing fouls.

Larsen also has a high foul count, coming in at 1.67, which is the same figure as Mohamed Elyounoussi. Strangely, the Norway stats show it has been their midfield and attack that has been committing most of their fouls, with former Celtic player Kristoffer Ajer being their leading fouler in the defence at just 0.91 per 90 minutes.

Given the semi-competitive nature of this encounter due to the outcomes for both teams having been decided, both managers are likely to shake things up during the game, which is worth considering for your Scotland v Norway bet builder.

Predictions:

🛑 Jørgen Strand Larsen to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.40

🛑 John McGinn to commit 1+ fouls in the first half @ 1.67

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.

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