Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the World Cup 2018 qualifying clash between Scotland and Slovakia at Hampden Park. It is still all to play for in Group F with two rounds of matches to go, but the home side - currently enjoying a fine run of form - require all three points this evening if they are to take it down to the wire.

The visitors are in the stronger position at this point, sitting one point better off in second. A draw appears to be a good result for them on paper, but the complicated best runners-up system still has to be taken into account. Boss Jan Kozak has put it simple enough - they are here for all three points, which could well be enough to keep them in the running for top spot.

SCOTLAND TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Gordon, Tierney, Mulgrew, Berra, Robertson, Fletcher, Morrison, Bannan, Forrest, Phillips, Griffiths

SUBS: Archer, A.McGregor, Anya, Cooper, Hanley, Fraser, McArthur, McGinn, C.McGregor, Snodgrass, Martin, S.Fletcher

Starting with a look at the home team, Gordon Strachan has gone a tad conservative with his selection. James Morrison, Darren Fletcher and Barry Bannan all start in midfield, the latter being preferred to Callum McGregor. Bannan did appear likely to start this evening after being talked up by Strachan in the build-up to the match, but could the experienced boss have gone with a little more attacking impetus in the middle of the park?

That question will be answered as the night transpires, of course, but I am sure many of those inside Hampden Park would have chucked a player of McGregor's quality - even if he was not in the original squad - straight into the starting XI. Scotland are without Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong this evening, with the Celtic pair pulling out through hamstring and calf injuries respectively, while Matt Ritchie also pulled out of the squad shortly after Newcastle drew against Liverpool on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, Lee Griffiths leads the line for a sixth-successive match, looking to build on a good record that has seen him play a part in six goals in his last three outings. James Forrest and Matty Phillips will provide attacking support in Glasgow, as the hosts go in search of the three points required to claim a runners-up spot. At the other end, Craig Gordon starts in goal - his 50th appearance for the Tartan Army.

SLOVAKIA TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Dubravka, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Gregus, Nemec, Hubocan, Hamsik, Kucka, Mak, Lobotka

SUBS: Kozacik, Polacek, Gyomber, Weiss, Duda, Mihalik, Rusnak, Hrosovsky, Mazan, Sabo, Stetina

Slovakia boss Jan Kozak has to make do without suspended Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar this evening, while injured forward Michal Duris will also play no part. There is better news elsewhere, though, because influential midfielder Marek Hamsik has been declared fit enough to feature from the off after recently complaining of a minor injury. That really is a major boost for the visitors, who will themselves look for maximum points tonight.

Stan Lobotka opened the scoring for the Eagles last time out in impressive style, and he is again used from the off in a central-midfield five this evening. Robert Mak is out on the left and Trabzonspor ace Juraj Kucka on the right, providing support for the dangerous Adam Nemec through the middle. There is plenty of quality throughout this Slovakian side, including the experienced Martin Skrtel at centre-back.

Kozak has made two changes to the side that fell to a narrow 2-1 loss to England last month, with Jan Gregus being brought in to partner Lobotka in central midfield from the off. It is also worth noting that Hamsik, declared fit to play, reaches the milestone 100th cap tonight. Two alterations for the visitors, then, and three for the hosts in all - Fletcher, Morrison and Bannan all coming into midfield.

Gordon Strachan may have gone a little more attacking with his starting lineup, but the experienced boss will live and die by that decision. The loss of Brown and Armstrong was far from ideal, of course, meaning that he has had to change around his midfield, making three changes in that central position of the pitch. Plenty of pressure on the Tartan Army tonight, as they require all three points.

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PREVIOUS MEETING! These two sides have met on just one previous occasion, coming earlier this qualifying campaign when Slovakia ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in Trnava. Robert Mak, a starter tonight, scored twice and Adam Nemec added another from an unchallenged header. It was a damning result as far as Strachan was concerned; a result that seemingly left his job hanging by a thread.

Strachan managed to survive that result, though, as well as a three-goal thumping at the hands of rivals England. That scoreline was very harsh on the Scots, truth be told, and they have since responded in style. After what was a dreadful start all-in-all, with a 1-1 draw with Lithuania here pretty much the nadir, the Tartan Army head into the final batch of qualifiers knowing that their fate is in their own hands.

Scotland travel to Ljubljana in three days' time for what they will hope will be a game with plenty riding on it, with three sides battling it out for second spot. Slovakia can technically still finish top, but for that to happen they need to win both games - doable, on the face of it - and hope that England slip up against both Slovenia and Lithuania. For Scotland and Slovenia, though, they are eyeing up a best-placed runners-up berth.

Since losing 3-0 to England a little over a year ago, Scotland have won three and drawn one of their competitive games. The only dropped points during that sequence came at home to the Three Lions, when Leigh Griffiths brilliantly turned the game on its head with two free kicks, which would be cancelled out right at the very death. A cruel result, but not a killer one - the Tartan Army are still in the running to reach Russia 2018.

Strachan's side have kept three clean sheets in their last four either side of the England draw, seeing off Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta in recent months. The most recent of those wins came against Malta here last month; a game which the hosts dominated but never really managed to get out of second gear. It did not matter a great deal in front of a half-full Hampden Park, as they got the result required to take it to these final two games.

Christophe Berra and Griffiths were on target in that match, netting early in either half to down the group's bottom-placed side. Celtic striker Griffiths, as touched upon a little earlier, has been a key player in Scotland's revival thanks to his involvement in six goals across the last three games. Just do not expect to see a goalfest in the first half, with 71% of Scotland's goals this campaign being scored in the second 45 minutes.

Of those second-half goals, five have come no earlier than the 84th minute, including the most important of all against Slovenia when Chris Martin converted two minutes from time to revive this faltering campaign. Could that be the goal supporters look back on when in Russia next summer as the moment they started to believe again? Or, on the flipside, will they instead rue the dropped home points against Lithuania a year ago. Only time will tell...

Scotland fans will certainly not be getting too carried away, despite their side's upturn in fortunes over the past four matches. Not since France 98 have they reached the finals of the World Cup - the last tournament of any sort they qualified for, in fact, with their most recent European Championship participation coming two years prior. The disappointment of missing out on Euro 2016 is still being felt, but they could well put that to one side come this time next month.

DID YOU KNOW? Scotland are unbeaten in five World Cup qualifying fixtures at Hampden Park, winning three and drawing two of those. They can make it three victories in a row this evening for the first time in a single WC campaign since 1997, when they went on to reach the following year's finals in France. Germany were the last side to win a game here, doing so seven matches back in September 2015.

A far bigger attendance is expected tonight compared to a month ago when only half of Hampden Park was full for the visit of Malta. Scotland picked up a 2-0 win in that one through Christoph Berra and Leigh Griffiths goals, extending their campaign to these final two fixtures. If they want to travel to Ljubljana with hope of reaching Russia, then only three points will do tonight.

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Slovakia climbed three places to 19th in the most recent FIFA rankings, some 24 places above Scotland who themselves took a giant leap forward. The Eagles may have suffered defeat to England in their last outing, but they can still be considered a side in form thanks to five wins from five ahead of that one. Even still, defeat for them this evening and their dream of reaching Russia will take an almighty dent.

Lobotka had given Slovakia an early lead against England through a well-taken goal, before Eric Dier and Marcus Rashford netter either side of half time to win the points for the Three Lions. Prior to that, Kozak's men went on a winning run, starting with a 3-0 triumph over Scotland a year ago and also taking in victories against Lithuania (twice), Malta and Slovenia. An impressive streak in a group that has seen many teams take points off each other.

Slovakia head to Glasgow as the frontrunners to finish second, knowing that a point tonight will likely see them remain in that position ahead of the visit of Malta on the final matchday - surely a guaranteed three points. The scenario that not many have taken into consideration tonight is Slovenia coming away from Wembley with all three points when taking on England, which really would blow Group F wide open ahead of Sunday evening.

Still plenty of ifs and buts to take into consideration, with Slovakia aiming to reach the World Cup finals for the second time in six attempts. They last did so in 2010 when they made it to the round of 16 stage; the same stage they reached last year when qualifying for Euro 2016. The Eagles are certainly no strangers to reaching major tournament finals in recent years, then, which is not the same story as far as Scotland are concerned.

There have been suggestions that Slovakia will play for a point tonight, with that result - as touched upon a short while ago - almost certain to keep them in second place ahead of their home tie against Malta. The complicated best-placed runners-up system has to be taken into consideration as well, though, which as things stand will see whoever finishes second in Group F make it through to the playoffs in November.

Slovakia are comfortably one of the better-placed runners-up, so a point should keep them on track, although the result against Malta on Sunday will not count in this second-placed mini league. Complicated, granted, but all the sides can do is focus on getting the result they set out for - in Scotland's case, six points from six against Slovakia and Slovenia over the next three days.

With kickoff now a little over five minutes away at Hampden Park, let us gather the thoughts from both camps.

Gordon Strachan: "We've had to deal with must-win games in the last four. Momentum is good at the moment. It's really exciting for me taking on this challenge. Like ourselves, they started slow, so it's two teams who have picked up momentum at a vital stage of the group. Slovakia have good players, experienced players, and they've been together a long time, they're like a club side. They might not have the numbers, but when they put 16 or 17 together, they've got a right good side. Anyone with any knowledge in football will know how tough it's going to be agains a team even England found difficult to beat. We've put together the basis of a team plan."

Jan Kozak: "If you follow us for some time, you will have seen that we try to impose our game on the play, without having consideration for the opponent. This will be a showdown and we want to show what we are capable of. Thank God that we still have this chance after a very poor start to the campaign. These are the games you need to be excited about. Perhaps you have played 200 matches, 300 games in the league, and you won't remember one. These are the games you will remember, whether they are good memories or bad memories depends on your performance."

Strachan certainly not hiding from the fact that this will be a very tough evening for his side, against a team he describes as having a 'club-like mentality'. Opposite number Kozak wants his men to "show what they are capable of", meanwhile, knowing that a qualification playoff berth is within touching distance. A five-match winning run, only ended by England last time out, has them on the brink of a place in next month's two-legged shootout.

As the anthems are belted around Hampden Park, let us remind ourselves of the team news. Slovakia make two changes, bringing in Juraj Kucka of Trabzonspor and Jan Gregus of Copenhagen. Former Rangers midfielder Vladimir Weiss drops to the bench, while Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar misses out through suspension. As far as the hosts are concerned, it is a new three-man central midfield as Barry Bannan, Darren Fletcher and James Morrison partner up.

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KICKOFF! Scotland, in their dreaded pink away kit this evening, looking to make a positive start at Hampden Park. A clash of sleeves to blame for the changed strip, which supporters have very much grown to hate over time.

Tension can definitely be sensed in the Glasgow air this evening, with Scotland knowing that their campaign could well be over come 10pm. Slovakia win an early corner which Mak, a scorer in the reverse fixture, cannot turn goalwards.

It is the visitors who are seeing more of the ball so far, despite being the happier of the two if it remains this way come full time. Still very early on, of course, and the Tartan Army will no doubt grow into this one as it transpires.

Scotland get the ball into the box for the first time, but it has a little too much on it for Griffiths to meet in the middle. Bannan the man taking over set-piece duties for the home side, the latest of which goes short to Robertson and is whipped dangerously into the box.

PENALTY APPEAL! That was a really good cross from Robertson in the previous move, which Griffiths could not quite get to ahead of Martin Dubravka. Tierney has been bundled over in the box, but the referee turned down the Scotland appeals.

Tierney had a real call after being nudged off the ball by Robert Mak in the box. Soft it would have been, but it was one of those classic cases of 'anywhere else on the field and the whistle would have blown'. Good tempo being shown by the Scots.

Griffiths puts Dubravka under real pressure, forcing the keeper into a near-costly error. The ball was passed right down the middle but, after it was worked to Bannan, the midfielder took an age to pick out a pass and was dispossessed.

Scotland the side asking all the questions in an attacking sense. No clear-cut chances as of yet, but they are showing the right sort of tempo to test the opposition backline. A corner is won but it comes to very little from the left-hand side.

YELLOW CARD! The home side performing very well at the moment, winning all the challenges and sustaining some pressure in the attacking third. Unable to create any chances at the moment, as Mak goes into the book for his challenge, ruling him out of the Malta match.

SAVE! A whipped James Forrest cross form the right comes off the chest of Hubocan and goes behind for a corner. It is sent into a dangerous area but Slovakia initially clear their lines, before the next ball in is met by Morrison and brilliantly saved by Martin Dubravka.

YELLOW CARDS! That was a truly terrific stop from Dubravka to deny Berra, who did well to get on the end of Griffiths's left-sided cross. Slovakia have not turned up at all, with two players being booked for dissent in the space of 10 seconds.

RED CARD! This is staggering. Three yellows and a red awarded to Slovakia in the space of three minutes. Mak, booked 18 minutes into the game, goes down inside the box under no contact from Gordon and is rightly dismissed.

A dominant Scotland now up against 10 men, but that may - in a strange way - work against them. Slovakia will surely go more defensive for the remainder of the match in the hope of claiming a solitary point, which will keep them on course for second.

Kucka goes for goal from distance in an attempt to catch Gordon off his line, which he fails to do so. This is the same referee that sent Skrtel off against England right at the start of the campaign, incidentally, so no love lost!

Robertson picks up the ball on the left and cuts inside. In the end I'm not sure whether he was going for a shot or cross, but it was gobbled up by Dubravka with ease. Scotland still dominating proceedings at Hampden Park.

GROUP F UPDATE! Malta lead Lithuania through a Andre Agius goal in the battle between the bottom two. Still scoreless at Wembley Stadium, though, where England are playing host to Slovenia - currently first and third.

Bannan with time and space to get a cross into the box, which has too much on it for Griffiths. Slovakia really struggling since the get-go tonight, but they did have a dangerous moment a few seconds ago as Lobotka nearly got to the ball before Gordon.

Well all of a sudden it is the visitors looking the more lively. Hamsik is sent tumbling when shooting from the edge of the box and, just when his teammate looked like firing home the loose ball, the offside flag went up. Gordon saved it, regardless.

SAVE! Yet more good play from Scotland, which this time ends with Forrest sliding the ball through for Griffiths, who cuts inside and forces Dubravka into a diving save down to his right. Good stop from the Slovakian keeper.

A little over five minutes to go until half time here and Scotland are unlucky not to be a goal ahead. They are a man to the good, though, which will surely tell the more this game goes on. Likely to be backs-to-the-wall stuff from the visitors.

Tierney's cross from the right fizzes past Griffiths in the middle and did not quite reach Phillips. Slovakia enjoying the odd moment, though, with Nemec blasting into a sea of Scotland players from 20 yards out when spotted unmarked.

Scotland's hopes of netting before the break diminishing with each passing second. Strachan will be happy enough with what he has seen so far, but the onus remains on his side to find a breakthrough goal after the restart.

Brilliant first touch from Bannan inside the box to set himself up for a strike at goal, which Skrtel got his frame in the way of at the expense of a corner. The Tartan Army not quite sure how their side have yet to make a breakthrough here.

Referee Milorad Mazic, very much at the centre of things in the opening 45 minutes, blows his whistle for half time. An entertaining enough half of football on the whole, which Scotland had the better of without finding a way past Dubravka in the Slovakia goal.

Scotland, knowing that three points are a must if they were to extend their campaign into the final round of matches, started the better and felt that they should have had a penalty eight minutes in. Kieran Tierney was bundled over in the box by Robert Mak who, although fortunate on this occasion as play was waved on, was not so lucky soon after when dismissed. Minutes after being cautioned for a challenge out wide, the Zenit St Petersburg ace - on the scoresheet twice in the reverse fixture - saw a second yellow for a clear dive inside the box.

Either side of the red card Martin Dubravka was being kept busy, producing fine saves to deny Christophe Berra from close range and a Leigh Griffiths curler from further back. For all Scotland's dominance they could not create too many clear-cut openings and Slovakia, more than happy with a point on their travels, sat back and soaked up the first-half pressure.

Slovakia had the odd positive moment in the first half, the best of which saw Nemec's shot blocked from the edge of the area. The Tartan Army cannot afford to switch off at the back, though more importantly they need to become more ruthless in the attacking third to find that all-important breakthrough goal. If not, their campaign will be as good as over come full time.

BENCH WATCH!

SCOTLAND SUBS: Archer, A.McGregor, Anya, Cooper, Hanley, Fraser, McArthur, McGinn, C.McGregor, Snodgrass, Martin, S.Fletcher

SLOVAKIA SUBS: Kozacik, Polacek, Gyomber, Weiss, Duda, Mihalik, Rusnak, Hrosovsky, Mazan, Sabo, Stetina

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RESTART! Scotland gets us back under way at Hampden Park, where neither manager has made a change in personnel at the break. No real surprise in that, with Strachan happy to wait until the hour mark before switching things around if required.

Bright start to the second half for the visitors, who are looking a little more comfortable on the ball now. Scotland need to get back into their groove once again and find some sustained pressure in the opposition half of the field.

Kozak's charges still looking the better team in this second half, as Lobotka gets forward down the left and into the box, only to pick out a pink shirt with his delivery. Scotland's play, in contrast, looking a tad disjointed right now.

SAVE! Just as Hampden was beginning to get restless, Tierney lofts a ball into the box for Griffiths to get on the end of. The Celtic man had to generate all the power, though, and it proved to be a comfortable save for Dubravka to make.

Robertson is currently receiving some treatment to his hand after landing awkwardly. A real blow for Scotland if he has to make way, though it seems as though he will be fine to continue once he has been looked at. Morrison sends a half-volley wide.

SAVE! Lobotka undoubtedly Slovakia's key man at the moment, as he is again given a chance to break forward into a fair bit of space. There was a shot at the end of it, too, which Gordon got behind - his first save of the contest thus far.

Strachan holding off making a sub, but that will surely change soon because his side are creating little and Slovakia are seeing more and more of the ball. A man advantage it may be, but the visitors seem pretty comfortable at the moment.

SAVE! Another save for Gordon to make, this time denying Jan Gregus down low. Strachan has quickly responded by bringing on Chris Martin - who saved this qualifying campaign against Slovenia - for James Forrest.

Scotland finally spark back into life, with Dubravka producing another big save to keep out a Griffiths drive. The ball was moving from left to right and required a big hand to help it behind for a corner, from which Scotland cannot convert.

Fletcher has been off the field for a couple of minutes being patched up after being caught be a stray elbow, causing the side of his face to bleed. Not really happening for Scotland at the moment, but there is still 25 minutes to play.

Half a chance for the visitors, coming through Hamsik who popped up in space and laid the ball off for his teammate. In the end a shot was rather rushed from range, to the relief of the home fans packed inside Hampden Park this evening.

Bannan was looking to get a shot away inside the box, but in the end it turned into more of a cross as he scuffed it. Scotland have scored in each of their last 14 games here, stretching back to a goalless draw against USA in 2013.

OFF THE BAR! A quarter of the match to play and still just the one change made by either manager. It remains incredible tight and tense in Glasgow, where a goal either way now changes the complexion of Group F entirely. So nearly a breakthrough, as Martin's long-range drive cannons back off the crossbar.

It has been an evenly-matched second half on the whole, but that Martin strike was the closest we have come to a goal. Slovakia still probing away, however, and they look just as likely to find a way through as their opponents.

OFF THE BAR! Space just about opened up for Griffiths to get a shot away from 22 yards out, but the ball hit a visiting player on the edge of the box. Griffiths then sees a free kick from range strike the crossbar. Incredible!

SAVE! Moments after Griffiths hit the bar, Morrison was somehow denied from close range by Dubravka. Hate to say it, but this is turning into one of those nights for Scotland. The Tartan Army have 14 minutes left to find a breakthrough!

SAVE! Yep, definitely one of those nights! Robertson the next to be denied by Dubravka, this time from a slight angle. Fletcher has been replaced by McArthur and Slovakia have made a couple of changes - Weiss and Duda being brought on for Nemec and Hamsik.

Nearly three-quarters of Scotland's goals this campaign have come in the second half of games, five of those in the final six minutes, and another late goal is desperately required here. Gyomber was also introduced for Slovakia in place of Kucka.

SCOTLAND SUB! The flurry of changes continues, with Anya on for Tierney to provide some fresh legs down the flank. All six changes now made, so it is down to the players on the field. Scotland, remember, need all three points.

Slovakia defending for their lives now. They have not lost back-to-back away qualifiers in a decade, which will surely be the case should they concede now. A Griffiths cross is swiped goalwards by Bannan, only for a visiting player to block.

GROUP F UPDATE! Malta and Lithuania are now all square, while we still await a goal in the match between England and Slovenia at Wembley. As things stand, England are top on 21 points, Slovenia second on 16 and Slovenia and Scotland have 15 apiece.

Scotland continue to press for what would be a dramatic late winner. Slovakia not really showing any attacking intent since taking off Hamsik, instead getting all 10 men behind the ball in the hope of holding out for a crucial point.

Not quite sure if this one will go down as a Martin goal or Skrtel own goal, but either way Scotland have the goal that they crave! All of a sudden, they are in the driving seat on the road to Russia! A cross from Anya was met at the front post by a mixture of Martin and Skrtel, with the ball flying past Dubravka.

Four minutes have been added on at Hampden Park. Now it is Scotland's turn to defend, but time is very much against Slovakia now. The home fans are in dreamland, just seconds away from a famous result thanks to that late winner.

The referee blows his whistle for full time, sparking scenes of joy around Hampden Park. This impressive run of form continues for the Tartan Army - just! Chris Martin applied the pressure to once again prove the late hero, with Martin Skrtel turning the ball past his own keeper 89 minutes into the contest.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Hampden Park. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while a recap of all the other scores - including a late winner for England against Slovenia - can be viewed here. Thanks for joining!