World’s Number 1 team destroy Scotland (again!)

The FIFA world number one ranked team Belgium defeated Scotland 4-0 in their Euro 2020 qualifier at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

The result, number of goals and clean sheet for Belgium wasn’t a particularly big surprise. Belgium have now won their last six matches against Scotland, scoring 17 goals in the process without reply. And tonight’s low attendance of just over 25,000 (half of the stadium’s capacity) showed that the home fans weren’t expecting too much.

The result leaves Scotland in fifth place in Euro 2020’s Group I qualifying table behind Belgium, Russia, Kazakhstan and Cyprus. With only four matches left to play, Scotland have very little hope of catching Russia who are 9 points ahead of them in the second automatic qualifying position.

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There was little optimism in the stands at half time of Scotland making any sort of meaningful comeback – one fan remarked “how on earth are we gonna score 3 goals against the world’s best team when we can’t even score three goals against the world’s worst team!” (Scotland only managed to defeat San Marino, ranked 211th and last in FIFA rankings back in March, 2-0.) However the other fan responded with a little more optimism “Aye, but that was away from home!”

As expected (by most inside Hampden at least) Belgium went on to add a fourth in the 2nd half.

Steve Clarke was realistic in his comments after the match saying

“it was difficult to sell positives when you’ve lost 4-0 at home. The group is over in terms of qualification. We now have to make sure we finish 3rd in the group. we shot ourselves in the foot by giving away three set plays and found ourselves three goals down at half time.”

Up next for Scotland is an away trip to Moscow on 10 October where an expected Russian win would definitely signal the end to this route of qualification for Scotland and reliance instead on the play-offs in March 2020, which Scotland qualified for last year by winning their Euro Nations League Group against Israel and Albania.