WORLD CUP WILLI’S AT WIND-UP

Scotland are clear favourites... the whole of Europe will be talking about us if we can manage to beat them...

WILLI RUTTENSTEINER reckons Israel with be all the chat across the continent if his side can silence the Tartan Army at Hampden.

The boss last night gave it the mind games routine when he addressed the media at the National Stadium, laying it on so trowel thick the cleaners over at Mount Florida will have had a job getting it out of the carpets.

Austrian Ruttensteiner looked to pile all the pressure at the door of Steve Clarke and his men.

Scotland were an “amazing” football nation, we’ve got a squad jam packed with quality, he doesn’t know if his boys have it in them to win and if they do, it will send shockwaves throughout Europe.

Steady on Willi. Have you seen the recent games between these countries?

Scotland may have edged out Israel when it has mattered – such as in the Nations League group and Euros playoff clashes – but there’s been a cigarette paper between them in all of the last six encounters in just three years.

You wouldn’t think it given the way Ruttensteiner has teed it up.

He said: “I don’t know if we are able to beat Scotland. They are the clear favourites. We are 80th in the rankings so Scotland can only lose.

“This is an amazing footballing country and this is always a challenge for us.

“They have a lot of players playing in the Premier League

“We can only win something here. All over Europe they will talk about us if we beat Scotland.”

Ruttensteiner might have been at it with some of his comments but he knows what’s at stake this evening and was happy to spell it out.

It’ll be tea’s out if his men get beat.

He said: “If Scotland win the game, they will finish second in the group. Four points would be a big advantage.

“If it is draw, it will be a real battle until the end. If we win the game, then we will only have the butter and the bread.”

It’s nice to think the entire continent is watching but there definitely will be 50,000 pairs of eyes at Hampden – unlike the three previous head-toheads in these parts.

There were only 22,000 for the Nations

League crunch clash first time around when Alex McLeish’s men sealed a play-off spot.

By the time the sides met again in those play-offs, Covid had turned the place into a ghost town as Clarke’s troops progressed to Serbia on spot-kicks.

It’ll be a whole new ball game this time.

Ruttensteiner said: “It feels like a different game. It is the first time the stadium will be full. It is totally different to the three other matches.”

Despite the Tartan Army mobilising, Ruttensteiner reckons his side will be comfortable with the surroundings and he eventually eased off on the underdog chat.

He said: “We feel right at home here. We travelled to Scotland on Monday and we have prepared so well. “Now we have to bring everything to the pitch and I’m sure we can do that in such a crucial game. “I am very proud of my team and our ability to attack is dangerous. We are so prepared for this game. “Eran Zahavi is a role model but alone he can do nothing. The unit and this brave team is where the power lies. “The teams are so close and the level is so high, no team will dominate the whole match. “We had chances in the play-off to beat them and it was a very equal game.” Skipper Bibras Natkho agrees with his gaffer and is predicting another nerve shredder this evening. The 33-year-old Partizan Belgrade warhorse won’t forget the pain of the play-off semi-final defeat and is out for payback. He said: “The players feel there is feeling of deja vu but we are hoping to be smiling after the game “We believe in ourselves and we all think we are capable of beating Scotland.” FAMILIAR FACES Natkho battles with Ryan Christie last time