‘Scotland are having a party and Haaland’s in his bed,’ sang the Tartan Army. And not even a late Norwegian leveller could stop those supporters from celebrating long into Sunday night.
After all, this was their first chance to properly cheer Scotland’s qualification for Euro 2024, with the team’s place in Germany confirmed via a Spain win over Norway last month.
Steve Clarke was desperate for his team to sign off a memorable campaign with victory over a team shorn of injured Premier League superstars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
And while they were not quite able to do so, extending their winless run in all competitions to five games, it mattered little to the fans who will be booking their flights to Germany after the draw on December 2.
No doubt, those Scotland supporters will make a fine addition to next summer’s shindig – and it is manager Clarke who has made them fall back in love with their football team.
Scotland supporters enjoyed the occasion as their team drew 3-3 at home to Norway
Scotland players applauded the fans at the end of a successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign
Steve Clarke was eager for Scotland to sign off with a victory but they fell just short
When Clarke took charge of his first match against Cyprus in June 2019, only 30,000 fans turned up here. But on Sunday night, the Glasgow stadium was sold out for a seventh straight game. When an extra 5,000 tickets went on sale last Friday, they were snapped up within half-an-hour.
As their heroes entered the pitch to fireworks on Sunday night, Scotland fans held up cards to create a giant message of ‘We’ll be coming’, complete with the German flag.
Serious questions should be asked about why Norway, with Haaland and Odegaard in their ranks, will not be there. You have to go way back to Euro 2000 for the last time they reached a tournament.
In this campaign, their 2-1 home defeat to Scotland – who scored twice in the last three minutes – proved a killer blow. But Stale Solbakken’s men were out to make amends in Glasgow, even without their star men.
It took them just three minutes to dampen the party mood inside Hampden as Toulouse forward Aron Donnum picked up a loose ball in the box and curled in off the left post.
Yet the hosts levelled 10 minutes later through stand-in skipper John McGinn’s coolly-taken penalty after Callum McGregor’s shot was blocked by the hand of goalscorer Donnum.
Scotland players celebrate after Stuart Armstrong’s goal put them ahead against Norway
The Scotland players will now look forward to their involvement in next year’s tournament
Norway regained the lead in the 20th-minute as Jorgen Strand Larsen bundled the ball past Scotland keeper Zander Clark – on his home debut – from Julian Ryerson’s deflected cross.
But Scotland were back on terms through Leo Ostigard’s 33-minute own goal after Kenny McLean had touched on Scott McTominay’s corner.
They had Nathan Patterson to thank for going into the break all square, following his heroic block from Donnum’s close-range strike.
And they got their noses in front for the first time 14 minutes after the restart, as McGinn pulled back to Armstrong, whose fine finish found the bottom left corner through a bundle of bodies.
There was to be one final twist, as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed in for Norway four minutes from time. Not that the Scotland supporters really cared. They were having a party – and Haaland was in his bed.