Scotland 2-0 Georgia: Three things we learned
Callum McGregor celebrating his goal just six minutes into the first half (Image: Getty Images)
Scotland continued their excellent start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia on a memorable night at Hampden. Let’s look at what stood out:
The Mount Florida monsoon might have stopped play, but it didn’t stop Scotland
Let’s focus on the football. Scotland started the game very well, confidently passing the ball around despite the conditions. They got themselves in front after six minutes as Callum McGregor was first to react after the ball came loose following a corner.
The Celtic midfielder thrashed the ball home to give the hosts an early lead. Initially, the game was halted for a VAR check, but it quickly became clear that there was more than a goal check going on. After a long pause, the referee lead the players off the pitch and it was unclear as to whether the game would kick off again.
After a lengthy stoppage, the pitch was deemed playable, however, the Georgian team had other ideas. They eventually emerged from their dressing room at 21:30, 90 minutes after the game was stopped. Game on!
The Hampden groundsmen doing their best to sweep water off the pitch (Image: Getty Images)
The home side picked up where they left off after the restart with chances from Lyndon Dykes, John McGinn, and Scott McTominay, but neither of them could capitalise.
Right at the start of the second half, McTominay got a second bite of the cherry, shooting low beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili to double Scotland’s lead and score his fifth goal in his last four international matches.
Scotland had many chances to add to their lead, but the two goals were all they could muster.
Steve Clarke’s side were given a scare in second-half stoppage time when Aaron Hickey was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box following a VAR check, therefore Georgia had a penalty, and an opportunity to give them a little hope. Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia blasted his penalty over the bar, ensuring a comfortable win and a clean sheet for the Scots.
With Scotland in command, the rest of Group A have a mountain to climb
After this result, Scotland are top of Group A with 12 points, eight points clear of both Georgia and Norway respectively. Many of the Tartan Army are already planning trips to Germany, however, it must be noted that Georgia and Cyprus have a game in hand over Scotland and Spain have two. Qualification is not a certainty yet.
Steve Clarke has said: “Six points wouldn't qualify us and I don't think 12 points will. But we're a hell of a lot closer to the points tally that will qualify us.”
This is the first time in history that a Scotland team has started a qualifying campaign with four wins out of four, but as Clarke alluded to, it’s about staying focussed and adding to an already impressive points tally.
Consistency is key for Clarke and his Scotland side
One of the linchpins of Clarke’s success as Scotland manager has been the level of consistency that he and the team have shown. This is partially because Clarke sticks to his principles no matter what.
He has persisted with his trusty back three and neither his shape nor players let him down. We saw a prime example of Clarke’s tactical consistency in this match with just the one change from Saturday’s dramatic victory in Oslo, with Billy Gilmour coming in to start.
Gilmour rewarded his manager’s faith by putting in a player of the match-winning performance. This shows that every single player is well-versed in their roles and duties and are prepared to step in at any moment. Tactical consistency coupled with a strong team spirit could be exactly what Scotland needs to ensure qualification for next summer’s Euros.