Scotland beat North Macedonia 2-0 in Skopje
Scotland dominated from the start and converted a 69th-minute penalty; North Macedonia left the pitch with a third Nations League defeat and no goals scored this campaign.
Scotland delivered a convincing 2-0 win over North Macedonia at the Todor Proeski Arena in Skopje on October 3, 2026, leaving the hosts with their third defeat of the current Nations League B campaign and still without a goal in the competition.
The visitors imposed themselves from the outset and produced what supporters on the night described as a "professorial" display, turning pressure into chances and goals while the home side struggled to create meaningful attacks. Stole Dimitrievski was again left to pick the ball out of his net and was described in local coverage as a "sad hero" after several saves couldn’t stop Scotland’s dominance.
Scotland opened the scoring early. After a sequence that saw Andrew Robertson test the goalkeeper, Kieron Bowie received the ball, turned and struck home in the seventh minute to put the visitors ahead and set the tone for the rest of the match.
The rest of the first half saw repeated Scottish attacks. Robertson, Ganon Doak and Oli McBurnie all threatened, forcing a busy night for Dimitrievski, while North Macedonia’s final ball and finishing were repeatedly off the mark.
Changes, VAR and the decisive penalty
Coach Sedloski reacted before halftime with a double substitution, bringing on Atanasov and Dzekov for Stanovski and Herrera, but the tactical switch did not alter Scotland’s control. A potential penalty awarded after a challenge by Gashtarov was overturned by VAR earlier in the match.
The turning point came in the 69th minute when chaos in the North Macedonian box resulted in Sandi Miovski handling the ball; after a VAR review the referee awarded a penalty and John McGinn converted from the spot to make it 2-0. Any lingering hope among the home crowd evaporated.
Late in the game a Scottish error on a pass allowed Eljif Elrazi to intercept; as Scotland tried to recover McKenna committed a heavy foul on the North Macedonian defender and received a straight red card before the final whistle.
Photo: press material from the event
