Little eyes goal rush in Albania

Shelley Kerr and her Scotland squad fly out to Tirana this afternoon with two possible routes still open to next summer’s World Cup in France.

The 2-1 win over Group 2 top seeds Switzerland in Paisley on Thursday left both nations on 18 points with just one game to play on Tuesday against Albania and Poland respectively. However, if the results are identical it is the Swiss who will top the group and claim the one automatic place in the finals. The head-to-head between the two sides was 2-2, but Lara Dickenmann’s away goal at the Simple Digital Arena is what will separate the leaders if both win, lose or draw on Tuesday. The main source of optimism for the Scots is that, on paper, they have the easier tie. They beat Albania 5-0 in the corresponding game, while Switzerland squeezed past third seeds Poland 2-1 at home last September.

At the very least, a win in Albania should ensure Scotland a place in the play-offs which will be contested by the four best runners-up in the seven European groups. Only the winner will qualify for France.

Kim Little, who scored the second Scotland goal in Paisley, said: “We got the three points, can be proud of the way we played, and the pressure is on Switzerland now. They need to win in Poland. We need to be strong defensively against Albania, try to score as many as we can, and then just hope the other result goes our way.”