De Bruyne puts on masterclass to humble Scots
If only Harry Potter was an actual person, Scotland would be compelled to have him checked for Pictish genes. That is the incontestable conclusion after a Euro 2020 qualifier which saw Steve Clarke’s team in desperate need of an Expelliarmus spell to subdue “He Who Could Not Be Tamed”, otherwise known as Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne scored the fourth and final goal, for a scoreline that duplicated the outcome of their appearance at the same stadium last September. His most significant contribution, however, was to create the goals – for Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld – which left the Scots battered and on the ropes well before the interval offered them a brief taste of sanctuary.
The 4-0 victory for Cyprus over the Group I makeweights, San Marino, consigned Scotland to secondbottom place while, at the other end of the table, a 1-0 win against Kazakhstan in Kaliningrad all but secured Russia second place, to complete a constellation of misadventure for Clarke and Co.
Clarke tried to take heart from some encouraging signs, but could not excuse the scoreline.
“From a 4-0 defeat it’s very difficult to take positives. But you have to look at the way the team’s set up, the way we tried to press, which we did really well at times. We had good possession, almost 50-50, and some chances. We looked at times like a good team, but you can’t run away from the scoreline.”
Clarke had hinted at changes and he made four, with John Mcginn, James Forrest, Ryan Fraser and Oli Mcburnie on the bench and replaced by Kenny Mclean, Robert Snodgrass, Ryan Christie and Matt Phillips. Belgium, meanwhile, had to cope with injuries to the Hazard brothers, Vincent Kompany and Dedryck Boyata.
Such losses did not, however, prompt anticipation of a crisis for Roberto Martinez, the manager, not with Lukaku, De Bruyne and Dries Mertens as his front three.
Given that Belgium played a friendly against the Scots at Hampden a year previously, there was no novelty value for curious home fans in seeing the top-rated team in the world and the defeat by Russia might have demotivated some among the Tartan Army but, although there were empty seats, the pre-match atmosphere did not indicate a collective depression.
The sight of Leigh Griffiths looking trim and cheerful in the Hampden foyer prompted regret at the absence – temporarily, it is to be hoped – of a striker capable of producing inspired moments. Phillips, by contrast, had one goal from 14 prior appearances.
This was not an encouraging statistic for the man tasked with disrupting the Belgian back three of Alderweireld, Vermaelen and Jan Vertonghen and, sure enough, the West Brom striker found pickings lean in the extreme. He was not the only player in dark blue to look crestfallen by the interval.
The first 45 minutes consisted of a masterclass by De Bruyne and to aggravate Scottish pain, the butchery began with a free-kick to the hosts. When it rebounded from the rampart of yellow jerseys, the ball was gathered in the left-back position by Mertens, who played a perfect curling ball across the halfway line and into the path of De Bruyne.
De Bruyne made straight for the opposition box, one eye on the run being made by Lukaku, who duly received the perfect pass which made his low left-foot finish a formality. A dread feeling of predestination swathed Hampden and Lukaku almost deepened it with a flick off the outside of his left boot, diverting the ball narrowly over.
Midway through the half, Belgium doubled their advantage, as Vermaelen got in front of three defenders to rifle home a cross. Just after the half-hour mark Scotland were again found wanting when Alderweireld rose to head in via the underside of the crossbar.
Between times, Youri Tielemans struck a drive narrowly wide, with
Clarke tried to take heart from positive signs, but he could not excuse the scoreline
David Marshall beaten. This opportunity was notable as, unlike all of the goals, the supply had not been provided by De Bruyne.
The maestro had not, though, finished his evening’s work and, by way of a flourish, he concluded the night by scoring on his own account when he drifted off Stephen O’donnell on the left edge of the box before taking a stride to finish with an immaculate curling effort.
Scotland’s cause is not forlorn. They still have the fallback of the play-offs in the Nations League.
“They’re not meaningless, there’s never a meaningless game when you’re playing for your country,” Clarke added of Scotland’s remaining group games.