Scotland ends 22 year wait to qualify for major tournament

Belgrade, Serbia | XINHUA |   Scotland defeated Serbia on penalties in the play-off finals to qualify for the UEFA European Championship on Thursday in Belgrade.

After a goalless first half, Ryan Christie shook the net for Scotland in the 52nd minute with a precise shot from 20 meters.

The visitors managed to keep the 1-0 lead almost to the end, but Serbia’s Luka Jovic scored in the 90th minute with a header on a corner kick to pull the game into extra time.

Neither of the teams broke the deadlock in the extra time.

In the penalty shootout, the hero of the match, Scottish goalkeeper David Marshall remained calm and defended a kick by Aleksandar Mitrovic for a 5-4 win.

It will be the first time that Scotland has qualified for a major international tournament for 22 years.

European football championship, due to take place in June 2020, was postponed to next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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