McLeish eyes automatic Euro place

ALEX McLEISH insists Scotland can secure automatic qualification for the Euro 2020 finals without the need for a play-off. A thrilling 3-2 win over Israel saw the Scots secure the safety net of a one-leg home semi-final play-off against Finland in March 2020 after topping their Nations League group. The winners of that tie will face Norway or Serbia over 90 minutes just days later for a place at the finals. Victory over Israel also cemented Scotland’s status in the third pot of seeds for the regular Euro 2020 draw on December 2 — and McLeish believes

his players should now aspire to finish in the top two of their group and qualify as one of the 24 finalists without the nail-biting prospect of a mini play-off tournament. ‘We want to qualify from the group,’ said the Scotland boss. ‘We have got to target that. We can’t just rely on this play-off thing. We want to qualify from the group now the players have got a wee bit of momentum.’ After overcoming the loss of nine withdrawals from his squad to win back-to-back games over Albania and the Israelis, McLeish believes the team’s success in those last two fixtures will make the absentees ‘desperate’ to get themselves back in his plans. ‘You can’t preclude that you will lose players, and lose some of your good ones, at certain moments,’ he said. ‘That can obviously be difficult. It can be hard to keep the momentum and keep winning. ‘But we believe the way we have come through these two games, everybody will be desperate to come back and play for Scotland.’ By finishing top of their three-team Nations League group, the Scots secured promotion to Pool B and avoided sliding into a group of death as fourth seeds when the main Euro draw takes place in Dublin next month. The top two teams in each of the ten groups will qualify automatically for the 2020 finals, with the winners of four play-off finals completing the 24-team line-up. Hampden will host four games at the finals and, asked if a rejuvenated Scotland side can make it to their first major finals since France 1998 as third seeds, McLeish said: ‘It is realistic. Third seeds have done it before. That’s a fact. ‘We will now be dangerous third seeds. Being third seeds is progress. ‘I think we have got to be happy at how we’ve done. We had a go to top the group and we have done that. ‘Now we, like every good team, will put it in the past. We have got to use these games, and the fact we can get there, to our advantage. ‘But we want to qualify from the group stage. We want to qualify.’