After several years in the doldrums, football in Scotland is on an upward trajectory at last. Steve Clark’s side won their UEFA Nations League group last year (W4, D1, L1), earning promotion to League A for the first time in the process, and now will embark on their quest to reach a second successive European Championship, starting with back-to-back home fixtures.
The first of those games is against Cyprus at Hampden Park, a team whom they finished above in qualification for Euro 2020. That’s a good omen for the Scots who have impressively won ten of their last 16 fixtures (D3, L3), while they have only suffered one home defeat to a team ranked below them in the FIFA rankings since losing to Wales in March 2013.
Scotland supporters will be confident of extending that record against the White and Blues, who are ranked 110th in the world and have lost each of the previous seven meetings between the two teams, with the last four ending 2-1! They arrive in Scotland on the back of a confidence-boosting 3-2 defeat of Israel last time out though, a result that ended a run of 16 away games without a victory (D3, L13).
That victory was also their second under new boss Temur Ketsbaia (L2), who took charge in June 2022. The Newcastle cult hero accepts reaching Euro 2024 is unlikely for his side, especially as they have never qualified for a major tournament before, but has pledged that Cyprus “won’t be an easy game for anyone” as he looks to pull off an upset in Glasgow.
Key battle: Scotland Ryan Christie has scored twice in seven European Championship qualifiers (W4, L3), including against Cyprus in November 2019. He’ll try to get the better of defender Konstantinos Laifis, who has lost 20 of his 26 away games for the White and Blues (W4, D2), with his side keeping only two clean sheets in the process.
Hot streak: There’s been three or more goals in eight of Cyprus last ten away games.
