Will it be a long-awaited glory night for Scotland?
We’ve asked some of our writers for their Serbia-scotland predictions and which Scotland team they’d pick ...
Andrew Smith: It is invigorating that this football nation becomes swept along by possibility whenever the potential for new life on a barren major finals landscape opens up. It is a pity that this hope always requires to butt up against probability. And reality. Serbia have superior players to Scotland.
The reality is that in one-off encounters when the stakes are so high – as is the case in Belgrade–the team boa sting the more prodigious talent invariably prevails. Steve Clarke deserves enormous credit for making Scotland obdurate and competitive. Yet for all that his men are on an eight-game unbeaten run, had they lost four of their past five outings, the fact is they could have had no real quibble.
Scotland’ s best hope is suffocating the Serbs into submission. As a consequence, Clarke’s back three will be pivotal. It won’t happen, but he should be prepared to pick the best individuals for those positions – regardless of whether they are left or right-footed – not the players who acquitted themselves so well last month. Scotland are not in Hampden anymore. My XI (3-5-1-1): Marshall; Cooper, Mckenna, Tierney; O’ Donnell, McGregor, Jack, McGinn, Robertson; Armstrong; Dykes.
Alan Pattullo: S o here we are. At the moment of truth. Steve Clarke will be feeling satisfied with how preparations have gone. Just t wo players have withdrawn due to injury from an initial squad of 27. He has options. He has players, specifically Stuart Armstrong, who are in form, in the Southampton midfielder’s case for a team riding high in the English top flight. Confidence has to be high among all the players, with Scotland now unbeaten in eight games.
Even those not enjoying such a successful time of it at their clubs – David Marshall, Callum Mcgregor, Ryan Christie – will get a fillip from being in an environment where spirits are high. One downside is the lack of speed and craft out wide due the absence of James Forrest and Ryan Fraser. Scotland do not often go nine games unbeaten and they will need to do this to progress to next summer’s finals, and it could well be a case of penalties once more. I feel this will be alongawaited glory night for Scotland. However, it will be hardearned–and tense. My team:
Marshall; Mctominay, Gallagher, Cooper; O’ Donnell, McGregor, Jack, McGinn, Armstrong, Robertson; Dykes.
Matthew Elder: Had this match taken place six months ago I would have approached it with zero expectation. However, as Scotland always tend to do, they have offered just enough glimmer of hope with their solid, ifun spectacular, performances in the last round of fixtures to en sure that defeat tonight will be all the more crushing. The clean sheets against Israel, Slovakia and Czech Republic show that, defensively at least, Steve Clarke has his team in goo d shape going to Serbia–albeit this is a level up from the aforementioned sides. However, I fear the injury to Ryan Fraser, pictured in set, may have robbed Scotland of their most important attacking weapon for a match of this nature – pace on the counter. I'm fairly confident Scotland will not crumble on the night, but I fear another chapter in the book of glorious failure. My line - up: (5- 3-1-1) Marshall ; O'donnell, Mctominay, Mckenna, Tierney, Robertson; Armstrong, Jack, Mcginn; Christie; Dykes.
Mark Atkinson: Scotland have timed their run of form perfectly and are in good nick coming into this match. Ste - ve Clarke deserves immense credit for the way he's put his stamp on his team incur atin ga stoic, well-organised back-line with some threat in attack. In normal times, a trip to Serbia would feel extremely daunting given the partisan nature of the hosts' fans, but with that hostility wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic, Scotland have a puncher's chance in Belgrade.
I don't think it will be a pretty contest and I half-expect it to go to extra-time. My worry is Serbia have the armoury in Du san Tadic, Sergej Mi linko vic-S a vic and Aleks and ar Mitrovic to score, and therefore Scotland's functional yet limited attack will need to do the same. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear Serbia might just be one step too far. My lineup (3-5-1-1): Marshall; Mctominay, McKen na, Cooper; O'donnell, Armstrong, Jack, Mcginn, Robertson; Christie; Dykes.
Barry Anderson: My heart says Scotland can do it. My head is telling me other wise. Eight games without defeat is a terrific record but, by the law of averages, it suggests a loss is due. Ryan Fraser's pace on the counter-attack would have been a vital par t of the game plan so the timing of his injury is awful. Clarke will stick with the back three and defensive solidity will be vital to Scotland's chances. There are questions about whether Declan Gallagher and Andy Considine will start but I reckon it would be unfair to leave them out after their performances last month. Scotland haven' t conceded ago al in their last three games. I'm certain Serbia will stop it becoming four. Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kicks are vicious and Tadic's intelligent movement will cause problems.
Milinkovic-savic is the biggest danger to Scotland. His attacking runs and ability to score goals need to be curtailed. He came off the bench to score both Serbia' s goals in their 2-1 win in Nor way to reach this play-off final. I just hope my heart is right and my head wrong. My team (3-5-11): Marshall; Mc to mi nay, Gallagher, Con si dine; Tierney, McGinn, Jack, McGregor, Robertson; Christie; Dykes.