FIRST LEG

GAMES: Three Lions (Playstation), FIFA 99 (Nintendo 64)

It’s a cold, sunny day at Hampden Park as the two games kick off. Immediately, Three Lions sets the tone with a series of blood-curdling tackles that see four English players and one Scot booked before half-time. Otherwise, though, both matches are deadly dull until the last five minutes, when a dazzling individual run from SHEARER in FIFA 99 is finished off with a searing shot from the corner of the box into the roof of the net. Two minutes later, in the same game, Teddy SHERINGHAM climbs above the defence and heads in a corner, and it’s all over.

RESULT: SCOTLAND 0 ENGLAND 2

OVERALL BELIEVABILITY RATING: High. Brutal tackling, little skill, dull football, England victory at Hampden. All too plausible.

SECOND LEG

GAMES: ISS Pro Evolution (Playstation), Microsoft International Football 2000 (PC)

There’s a thunderstorm ravaging a floodlit Wembley, and the wet pitch seems to suit the Scots better. With just 10 minutes gone in International Football 2000, a free-for-all in the area sees the ball break to HENDRY on the edge of the box, and he sends a low drive sizzling through a crowd of players into the corner of the net. With 87 minutes gone, though, there’s no more scoring. Then, a long clearance (in ISS Pro) from LAMBERT finds John COLLINS in space down the right wing. He races past LE SAUX towards the corner, and hooks a cross into the box where Kevin GALLACHER is waiting on the penalty spot, with ADAMS wheezing away somewhere behind. The cross is weak, though, and bounces up awkwardly, and all the striker can do is chest it in the general direction of the net. But the bounce also wrongfoots SEAMAN in the English goal, and the keeper slips on the greasy surface and can only watch in horror from the floor as the ball trundles just over the line.

RESULT: ENGLAND 0 SCOTLAND 2

OVERALL BELIEVABILITY RATING: Also high. England weak on the left, a slow, ageing defence, Scotland scrambling an untidy goal near the end. So far, videogame footy is more real than reality.

EXTRA TIME

GAME: FIFA 2000 (PC)

With the teams tied on both score and away goals, the newly-arrived latest edition of EA’s No.1 franchise supplies the tiebreaker. As the real one would, the game continues at the rain-soaked Wembley, but since FIFA lacks the option to only play extra-time, we play a full game but with the clock set to two (real-time) minutes instead of six.

03 MINS: A long ball from Tom BOYD to Billy DODDS is crossed low into the box and smashed home by Paul LAMBERT.

22 MINS: A long free-kick is floated towards the English area. DODDS picks it up, slips two markers and drives high past an unsighted SEAMAN.

27 MINS: A poor goal-kick from SULLIVAN is volleyed straight back into the net by David BATTY from 30 yards, and England are in the game again.

30 MINS: England launch another attack, but Scotland break away, and a great through ball from COLLINS finds Christian DAILLY on the edge of the area, who flights a curler from 20 yards past SEAMAN into the English net.

EXTRA TIME HALF-TIME: ENGLAND 1 SCOTLAND 3

72 MINS: After 30 minutes of continuous English pressure, a goalmouth scramble finally sees David BECKHAM bundle the ball over the line with his shin from two yards, setting up a grandstand finish.

81 MINS: Pressing hard for the equaliser, SHEARER follows through on SULLIVAN with a shocking studs-up tackle that leaves the referee no option but to dismiss the English skipper.

88 MINS: With the stadium a cauldron of noise, England’s fourth corner in succession is nodded in from six yards by an unmarked OWEN. The English players celebrate wildly as the Scots defence looks on in disbelief.

EXTRA TIME FULL-TIME: ENGLAND 3 SCOTLAND 3

Another 30 minutes fails to provide another goal, and in accordance with UEFA’s play-off rules the match goes to – yes! - a penalty shootout. The first nine kicks are all converted, leaving Man Utd’s Gary NEVILLE under unbearable pressure. SULLIVAN dives low to his right and holds the horrified Neville’s shot. The disconsolate defender turns and walks away as the Scottish players go wild.

OVERALL BELIEVABILITY RATING: Despite the crazy-looking scoreline, again, you can’t really fault the games. England’s defence isn’t what it was a couple of years back. Scotland are adept at throwing away seemingly commanding leads. Shearer has a suspect temperament as age robs him of his pace and he’s got a long record of nasty challenges when frustrated. And of course, England are the world’s undisputed No.1 champion bottle-losers in penalty shoot-outs.