Scotland Women vs Spain Women: Kick off time, how to watch, what TV channel it's on, will Celtic stars make debut?
Scotland Women are in World Cup qualifying action tonight, but they face a stern test in the shape of Jorge Vilda’s unbeaten Spanish side.
New boss Pedro Martínez Losa has enjoyed an unbeaten qualification campaign so far, guiding the side to wins over the Faroe Islands and Hungary, but they were reliant on a 93rd minute equaliser from Abi Harrison in Friday’s match with Ukraine at Hampden Park to keep their run intact.
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Hide AdThat record will be tested to its fullest this evening though, as they go face to face with a Spanish side who are on a run of 15 games unbeaten, each with a clean sheet to boot.
Losa, who will face his homeland this evening, has been forced to reshuffle his squad over this international break, with Manchester United trio Kirsty Smith, Kirsty Hanson and Martha Thomas withdrawing prior to Friday’s game at Hampden.
Key players Claire Emslie and Jennifer Beattie have all been forced to withdraw from the squad since the Ukraine game too, meaning Hibs’ Leah Eddie earns a recall to the squad, alongside uncapped Celtic duo Tegan Bowie and Kelly Clark.
Scotland currently sit in second place in group B of the Women’s World Cup qualification, two points behind tonight’s opponents, and six points better off than third placed Ukraine – though Ukraine do have a game in hand.
What time is Spain Women vs Scotland Women?
Where: Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Thursday November 30, 8:00pm
Tonight’s match in Seville will be Scotland’s first return to Spain since a heartbreaking Euro 2013 play-off defeat, a game which saw the winning goal coming in the dying seconds of extra-time.
The game will also mark the national side’s final competitive game for five months, with their next group B match not due until April 2022, where they’ll travel to Ukraine, before they return to Hampden Park for the return fixture against Spain.
The game at Hampden in April will the final home match of the World Cup qualifiers, a decision made as part of a five-year plan launched by the Scottish FA earlier in the year, as the SFA aims to increase the number of professional players by 10 per cent per year.
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Hide AdOn the announcement, head of women's football Fiona McIntyre told the BBC: "We're confident we can meet that target.
“The growth in the last five years has been really significant. We've gone from one or two professional players to the 70-plus that we have now.
"We understand the clubs and league's ambition and the direction they want to go in."
How can I watch Spain Women vs Scotland Women?
BBC Alba will be screening the full 90 minutes of Scotland’s final game of 2021 in Spain. You can also stream the game on BBC’s iPlayer service.
Live coverage from Seville’s Estadio de La Cartuja will begin at 7.50pm, with Derek MacKay on commentary.
Can’t get to a TV? Listen on BBC Radio Scotland DAB/810MW.
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