Belgium 1-1 Scotland: Visitors relegated to Nations League B after draw

Scotland will be relegated to League B of the Women’s Nations League, despite dominating in a draw with Belgium.

Substitute Amy Gallacher came closest to netting a winner, passing up a glorious opportunity to score her first international goal by missing the target from close range.

Pedro Martinez Losa’s side finish the campaign by welcoming European champions England to Hampden on Tuesday.

The sturdy start from Scotland showed no sign of a side who were winless in their past four. There was a speed and slickness to their play, exploiting the sizeable spaces the Belgians were willing to leave in the middle of the park.

Cuthbert tested Nicky Evrard with a tame effort before Detruyer dealt an all too familiar sucker punch to the Scots with a fine finish. What was not so familiar though was the response.

With the freedom of Leuven, Cuthbert carved a beauty out of nothing, a fitting reward for the team’s application to going a goal down. The heads never dropped, the intensity did not diminish.

Piling on the pressure, the towering Jenna Clark seemed destined to nod the visitors ahead. Somehow, though, her effort nestled in the roof of the net.

A wise head entered the fray as Scotland searched for the precious next goal. Hayley Lauder made her first Scotland appearance since March 2020, her 104th cap, nearly 14 years since she made her first.

Fellow substitute Gallacher nearly made it a match to remember for all but the Celtic forward squirmed a delicious chance in front of goal from a sizzling cross.

The match ended in a sour note for Cuthbert and Scotland as she left the field following a facial knock.

Player of the match – Erin Cuthbert

What’s next?

Scotland host England at Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) in their final group game, while Belgium travel to take on Netherlands at the same time.