Scots left looking to play-offs as Russia storm back to win in Glasgow
ANDY Robertson said in the lead-up to this game that he hadn’t given a moment’s thought to the permutations of the Euro 2020 playoff Scotland have up our sleeves next March after our previous exploits in the Nations League. Well, it is probably time for him and everyone else in the Tartan Army to start giving it their full consideration.
We aren’t quite done yet but that one-off semi-final feels like our only hope of reaching our first major finals in 22 years this morning after Russia came to Glasgow and inflicted the defeat which leaves Steve Clarke’s side six points adrift in the running for second spot in Group. For all the promise in this group and the hope given to Scotland in the early stages by John McGinn’s opener, it would take an outlandish sequence of results now.
It said it all about international football that only five players remained from the starting XI which battled valiantly in a 3-0 defeat in Brussels in July. This was most people’s common-sense selection, but there were big calls throughout Clarke’s selection. Liam Cooper, the 28-year-old captain of Leeds United, got his international debut at the heart of a defence which also welcomed back Andy Robertson - fresh from his inclusion in the long list for the FIFPro team of the year.
Oli McBurnie, fresh from his £20m move to Sheffield United, got a chance to right recent wrongs up front, with McGinn and Ryan Fraser given the chance to strut their stuff too. There was no room for the in-form Ryan Christie of Celtic nor Rangers’ Ryan Jack, but then Clarke can’t play everyone.
McBurnie has yet to score in eight appearances but he wasn’t the only one desperate to break his duck last night. Prior to last night it was a source of some embarrassment to McGinn that he had gone 15 international matches without a goal before he got off the mark. Ryan Fraser’s whipped cross was too hot for Guilherme to handle and the Aston Villa man cushioned it instantly and stuck it into the net.
Russia’s threat mainly came through Artem Dzyuba, the hulking Zenit St Petersburg striker. He served notice of intent when he got a run on Mulgrew from an Aleksandr Goloviin cross and produced a looping header which would have dropped under the crossbar had Marshall not feathered it onto the roof of the net by the width of a fingernail.
Mulgrew had a header saved but McBurnie was gradually becoming a more isolated figure. One slip in concentration cost them as half time approached, Cooper got sucked out of position and Robertson’s covering tackle as he attempted to retrieve the situation falling straight to Dzyuba, who passed it into the net beneath Marshall.
The goal took the wind out of Scotland’s sails. The second half began with Russia firmly in the ascendancy. Cooper saw yellow for catching Dzyuba on the jaw with a forearm, then the dangerous Golovin wriggled free to fire a foot over the top.
The playmaker was starting to find room behind Scotland’s midfield and he used it to devastating effect in the lead-up to the second goal. Fraser gave possession up in a dangerous area and Aleksei Ionov found Golovin’s midfield thrust perfectly. The 23-year-old centred to Yuri Zhirkov before a last touch from Stephen O’Donnell made sure of it.
Scotland were on the ropes now. Kenny McLean and Ryan Christie entered the fray but they had Marshall to thank for keeping them in it.
Mulgrew came close with a freekick but there was an anxiety about Scotland as they searched for a goal late on, the excellent Mulgrew also required to hack an Aleksandr Erokin finish off the line.