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The failure of the Lithuanian national team in the matches with Liechtenstein does not rule out the possibility of reaching the final stage of the European Championship. Despite a small, Scotland saved some hope for our team by playing a 2-2 draw at home with the Czech Republic on Saturday.
This result means that Raimondas Žutautas' team will take second place in Group I if they defeat Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday and beat the Czech Republic in Kaunas on October 11. In addition, it is necessary for the Spanish national team not to lose to the Czech Republic in Prague on October 7.
In this case, neither Scotland nor the Czech Republic would accumulate more than 11 points, and Lithuania, having defeated both of these teams in the upcoming matches, would have the same points but take a higher position due to a better head-to-head record.
Another good news for the Lithuanian national team is that Scottish forward Kenny Miller received a yellow card in the match against the Czech Republic, which means that Scotland's attacking leader will be suspended for Tuesday's match against Lithuania. It is worth noting that Miller not only scored a goal against the Czech goal but also made an excellent assist to Darren Fletcher. He will miss the game along with midfielder Scott Brown.
In the match between Scotland and the Czech Republic, Scotland could feel aggrieved as the visitors snatched a draw by converting a penalty kick in the final minute of regular time.
Just before halftime, the Scots took the lead when Miller put the ball into the net. It was the first shot by the hosts on target.
But after the break, the Czech Republic leveled the score deservedly after several chances, as Jaroslav Plašil redirected the ball into the net in the 78th minute after a strong chest pass.
In the 83rd minute, a swift Scottish attack ended with a precise pass from Miller and a shot from Fletcher, which hit the corner of the goal, causing a huge uproar in the packed stadium. However, luck turned away from the hosts again: Jan Rezek fell in the penalty area after a tackle, and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Kadlec's powerful shot could not be saved by the goalkeeper.
Scotland 2 - 2 Czech Republic
45' [1 - 0] K.Miller
78' [1 - 1] J.Plasil
83' [2 - 1] D.Fletcher
90' [2 - 2] M.Kadlec (from penalty kick)
Group I standings:
(position, team, matches played, wins, draws, losses, goal difference, points)
1. Spain 5 5 0 0 15-5 15
2. Czech Republic 6 3 1 2 8-5 10
3. Scotland 5 1 2 2 4-6 5
4. Lithuania 6 1 2 3 3-8 5
5. Liechtenstein 6 1 1 4 3-10 4
