Scotland Women urged to keep World Cup destiny in their own hands against Ukraine

Scotland Women and Ukraine drew 1-1 in November.

The Scots are currently in second place in Group B, eight points behind leaders and already qualified Spain, with two matches remaining. The first of those takes place on Friday night when they play Ukraine at the Stadion Miejski w Rzeszowie in Rzeszow, Poland.

Scotland are a point clear of third-placed Hungary, who like the Scots have played six matches, and six points clear of fourth-placed Ukraine, who have played two games less due to the Russian-led invasion of their homeland. For that reason, this match is to be played on neutral territory, given that ties cannot be played in Ukraine right now, and a Scotland victory would almost certainly end their hopes of finishing second.

Scotland’s final match is against the Faroe Islands in early September and finishing second would secure a play-off position for a shot a making the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

“I think we have the situation in our hands,” Martinez Losa said of Scotland’s situation. “That’s what we want to do and we don’t want to be at the point where we depend on the results of other national teams.

“At the moment, a positive result against Ukraine would continue that and the situation would be in our hands and that’s what we are working for.”

Scotland needed a 93rd-minute equaliser by Abi Harrison at Hampden last year to draw 1-1 with Ukraine, but that goal could be very crucial in the race for second place. The Ukrainians have played three matches this year – all friendlies – but have won them all without conceding a goal and Martinez Losa is braced for an improved Ukraine from the one that visited Glasgow last November.

“That [the 1-1 draw] was the first game that [Ukraine manager] Lluis Cortes was in charge and we would expect a side that has developed more into the principles and identity of the coach, a team that has improved,” Martinez Losa continued.

“We learned also about the two sides of football. It was a draw and one group was considering we were unlucky, the other considering the opposite. So there’s always two stories to a game.

“We thought we deserved it more but it was also up to us to make it happen. We were lucky to score the goal at the end but I think we deserved it from what we put into the game and it should have been enough to win.

“I think we have to be more critical in the final third and we have plenty of opportunities and space in behind.

“We also have to keep concentration when games are close and not make defensive mistakes.It can cost us games and it can cost us goals.”

Hungary, who are other team jousting for second place, are inactive until Tuesday, when they take on Ukraine.

Friday night’s match in Poland kicks off at 7.15pm GMT and is live on BBC Alba.