Scotland 1-2 Slovenia: Matko and Šturm turn it around as Pocognoli waits for a first Hampden win

Slovenia came from behind to beat Scotland 2-1 at Hampden Park on Tuesday night, their first win in seven meetings between the sides. Ryan Christie's backheel gave the hosts a half-time lead in UEFA Nations League B, Group 1, but Aljoša Matko equalised and then set up Danijel Šturm for the winner.

Sébastien Pocognoli's first camp as Scotland head coach ends with one win in four games and no points from his two matches at Hampden.

Match facts

• Result: Scotland 1-2 Slovenia (half-time 1-0)
• Competition: UEFA Nations League B, Group 1, Matchday 4
• Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow
• Scorers: Scotland - Christie 31'; Slovenia - Matko 56', Šturm 71'
• Red cards: None
• Attendance: 34,466
• Next: Scotland v North Macedonia, Friday 13 November; Slovenia v Switzerland, Friday 13 November

How the match unfolded

Pocognoli made two changes from Saturday's win in Skopje. Jack Hendry, back from suspension, replaced the suspended Scott McKenna, and Christie came in for Kieron Bowie. Billy Gilmour won his 50th cap.

Slovenia were the brighter side early on, and in the 13th minute Šturm got in down the left and cut the ball back for Adam Gnezda Čerin, whose effort was cleared off the line by Hendry.

Scotland went ahead from their first real opening in the 31st minute. Erik Janža was booked for a foul on Ben Gannon-Doak, and from the free-kick Lewis Ferguson rolled the ball to Gannon-Doak, whose cross was headed against the post by Hendry. Oli McBurnie could not turn in the rebound, and Christie backheeled it over the line from close range.

Andy Robertson protected the lead in the 39th minute with a sliding block as Žan Vipotnik prepared to shoot.

Scotland started the second half with more urgency. In the 52nd minute Gannon-Doak ran at the defence and played in Christie, but Jan Oblak kept out his shot.

Four minutes later Slovenia were level. Scotland lost the ball from their own throw-in, Šturm played a pass through the middle, and Matko got away from Luis Binks to place a low shot past Angus Gunn from the edge of the area.

Šturm then fired over from a good position. In the 66th minute Pocognoli sent on Aaron Hickey and Bowie for Stephen Welsh and McBurnie, and in the 69th minute Slovenia had the ball in the net again, only for the offside flag to go up.

The winner came in the 71st minute. Matko broke clear on the right and pulled a low ball across for Šturm, who finished first time from close range.

Findlay Curtis and Josh McPake, on his debut, came on a minute later. Both went down in the area under challenges, but Spanish referee José María Sánchez waved away both penalty appeals.

What it means

Scotland stay third in Group B1 on four points, three behind Slovenia and eight behind leaders Switzerland, who beat North Macedonia 3-0 in Lucerne on Tuesday. With two games left, Scotland can no longer win the group.

Pocognoli's four games have brought a 0-0 draw in Ljubljana, a 3-0 home defeat by Switzerland, the 2-0 win in North Macedonia and now this defeat. McBurnie, on his 20th cap, is still waiting for his first Scotland goal.

"It was nice to score but it feels a lot nicer when you win, that is the frustrating part," Christie told BBC Scotland. "We didn't create enough tonight with the possession we had."

Slovenia head coach Boštjan Cesar said his side had been dominant "from the first to the last minute" and did not panic after going behind. "Slovenia had never beaten Scotland before, so congratulations to the lads," he said in comments published by the Slovenian federation.

What happens next

Scotland host North Macedonia at Hampden on Friday 13 November (19:45 UK) and finish away to Switzerland in St Gallen on Monday 16 November. Slovenia host the leaders in Ljubljana on 13 November, without David Zec and Erik Janža, who are suspended according to their federation, and end their group in Skopje.