The shadow of a painful past looms large as Scotland returns to Lisbon for their Nations League clash, a city where the Tartan Army experienced one of their most crushing defeats. In April 1993, during the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, Scotland was humiliated 5-0 by Portugal, a night that former manager Andy Roxburgh famously lamented as the moment “a team died out there tonight.”
As current manager Steve Clarke prepares his injury-hit and out-of-form side for Sunday’s match, the memory of that infamous night lingers. It’s Scotland’s first trip back to the Portuguese capital since that fateful day, and the stakes are high once again.
Back in 1993, Roxburgh’s tactical decisions came under heavy criticism. Despite being in top form for Manchester United, Brian McClair was left on the bench, while Jim McInally and Stuart McCall struggled to find chemistry in midfield. The aftermath saw the end of Richard Gough’s international career and a fallout with key players, while Rangers star Ally McCoist suffered a broken leg. Roxburgh’s tenure as Scotland boss ended less than six months later, marking a low point for a team that had grown accustomed to regular World Cup appearances.
Fast forward to today, and Scotland’s current squad faces a similarly daunting challenge. Wins on the road have been hard to come by, especially against top-tier teams. While Clarke can point to notable victories in Oslo and Vienna, a win over a team in the top 20 has eluded Scotland since a memorable triumph over Croatia in 2013. That win came too late to affect World Cup qualification, and you’d have to go back to 2007’s famous victory over France in Paris to find a truly significant upset against a footballing giant.
If Scotland can pull off a win in Lisbon, it would be ranked alongside those historic triumphs. But with Thursday’s 3-2 home defeat to Poland already putting them on the back foot in Nations League A, Clarke’s squad will need to summon something special to stay at this level.
Adding to the challenge is the presence of Portugal’s talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo. At 39 years old, Ronaldo is still a force to be reckoned with, having just scored his 900th career goal in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Croatia. If he faces Scotland, it will mark his 214th international cap, an unmatched achievement in football history. Ronaldo’s storied career includes five Champions League titles, multiple league championships across Europe, and five Ballon d’Or awards. His continued presence, alongside top talents like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Dias, makes Portugal a formidable opponent.
For Scotland, this match represents both a daunting task and a chance to rewrite history. Clarke and his players know that life in Nations League A is unforgiving, and they will be desperate to avoid the costly mistakes that have plagued them over the past year. As they step onto the pitch in Lisbon, memories of 1993 will be close at hand, but so too will the hope of creating new, more positive memories in the Portuguese capital.
