Scotland face questions after Hendry red card and 3–0 Switzerland defeat

Scotland lost 3–0 to Switzerland at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday, 29 September, after Jack Hendry was sent off inside the opening 10 minutes of Sébastien Pocognoli’s first home match as head coach. The defeat left Scotland seeking their first win in Nations League Group B1 before an away trip to North Macedonia.

The red card forced Scotland to play almost 80 minutes with 10 men. Ricardo Rodríguez scored from the resulting free kick in the 12th minute, Nico Elvedi added a second in the 55th and Zeki Amdouni completed the scoring in the 82nd.

Why Jack Hendry was sent off against Switzerland

Hendry pulled back Dan Ndoye as the Switzerland forward advanced towards goal. Referee Nenad Minaković initially awarded a penalty and showed Hendry a yellow card. A video assistant referee review established that the foul was outside the penalty area; the decision became a free kick and Hendry’s caution was upgraded to a red card.

Rodríguez curled the free kick past Angus Gunn. The Scottish FA said Scotland had pressed Switzerland during the opening five minutes, but the dismissal and immediate goal changed the contest before Pocognoli could assess much of his original plan.

What Scotland’s coaches and captain said

Pocognoli called it a frustrating night. He told Sky Sports that the game plan had to be set aside after eight minutes, leaving him to judge how his players reacted with 10 men. He praised their attitude while acknowledging that Switzerland gave little away.

Scotland captain Andy Robertson told BBC Scotland, in comments carried by Sky Sports, that the dismissal made an already difficult match harder. He said the plan prepared over the preceding three days had gone out of the window and the players had to try something else. He also said the squad would try to stay positive under its new manager.

Pocognoli told The Guardian that the players shared responsibility for Hendry’s red card and needed to stay together. His comments pointed to a collective response, though the early dismissal makes it difficult to judge how the match would have unfolded with Scotland at full strength.

How Switzerland extended their lead

Switzerland scored again after Scotland only partly cleared a corner. Ndoye received the ball on the right and crossed for Elvedi to finish from close range. The Scottish FA reported further Swiss chances in the second half, including two saves by Gunn, before Amdouni struck the third goal.

The Guardian’s reporter at Hampden described Switzerland as superior beyond the advantage created by Hendry’s dismissal. The newspaper said the home crowd became subdued after the sending-off and reported that many spectators left after the third goal. Those observations add to the questions Pocognoli faces, while the red card remains central to any assessment of the performance.

What changed from Pocognoli’s first match

Pocognoli had begun his tenure with a goalless draw away to Slovenia. The Guardian described Scotland’s second-half display there as encouraging for the new coach and supporters. For his first Hampden match, the Scottish FA said he made three changes to that side, including a debut for Luis Binks.

Before the Switzerland fixture, NewsJaws covered Pocognoli’s attacking options for his first home game. Tuesday’s dismissal meant that selection could not be tested as planned. The Guardian also reported that Scotland had scored only once in five games at the time of its match report, a tally that underlines why creating and finishing chances remains a concern.

Scotland’s next Nations League fixtures

Scotland travel to North Macedonia on Saturday, 3 October, then host Slovenia on 6 October, according to the Scottish FA and UEFA fixture listings. Those games offer Pocognoli his next chances to assess the side after a disrupted first home appearance. The results, and whether Scotland can improve their scoring record, remain open.

UEFA’s schedule also lists a home match against North Macedonia on 13 November and an away match against Switzerland on 16 November. The return fixture with Switzerland offers a later comparison, but Pocognoli’s immediate task is the trip to Skopje, with Scotland still looking for their first victory in the group.