Scottish women approach UEFA Euro 2025 on a note of caution

The Scotland women’s national football team has taken another step towards qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland. It is great news for the team and the fans. But there were also some worrying warning signs at times.

Scottish women have been very successful so far in your qualifying campaign. Five wins and a draw in their Nations League group B took them to the final stages of qualification. That unbeaten streak with only one goal conceded will have once again increased confidence in the team after failing to qualify for the previous World Cup and European Championships.

The first task for qualification is to beat Hungary in the home and away match. So far so good, Scotland traveled to Budapest on Friday and returned with a 0-1 lead in a close match. The second leg will be played at home on Tuesday, at Easter Road, Edinburgh. The winners of both matches will play either Finland or Montenegro. The Finns have a chance, as they too returned home with a one-goal victory in the first leg.

Does that mean it will also be an easy draw for the Scots on Tuesday? You are welcome. Friday’s victory was comfortable at times, but the Scots did not show the same great form as their recent run of good results. They had some problems in a boring first half, scored after an hour of play and secured the result safely. Both teams had and missed good opportunities.

There will be confidence within the team, with the expectation of victory. That can be a dangerous combination and a one-goal lead is no big deal. The players will want to impose themselves more on Tuesday and start well.

A positive sign, if you believe in these things, is the strength of the team. The campaign so far has seen a Scottish team hit by injuries to its best players. Three of them are now back together on the team. Erin Cuthbert, Sam Kerr and Caroline Weir are available for the Scottish midfield.

They bring top-level club experience from Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, which is sure to be an invaluable addition. But together on the field they still don’t have the formidable formation or style they should have together. It seems unlikely that the Scottish boss will make a big change and change the midfield trio for the second leg. However, they will look for more from them and the other players to ensure the necessary result to advance to the final phase of the playoffs.