Source: telegraph.co.uk/SAM WALLACE IN COLOGNE
Amid the fierce pride and acute anxiety among the travelling Scotland support at a draw that keeps the nation’s hopes in the European Championship alive, it was once again Scott McTominay who came to the rescue of his country.
The Lancashire-born Manchester United boy of Scottish heritage – a father from Helensburgh – scored more goals in the qualification for this tournament than Erling Haaland did for Norway. In Cologne, with humiliation lurking just at Scotland’s shoulder, so it was McTominay who once again supplied the goal that made the difference. It is not always simple to discern a great fluency to Scotland’s approach but McTominay has experience of playing for these kinds of stakes.
The 27-year-old was earning his 51st cap, after seven goals in qualifying, including both in the historic 2-0 win over Spain at Hampden, and the matchwinner away to Cyprus. His first-half goal, at the end of Scotland’s best move, took a heavy touch off the Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar on its way in but was decreed a McTominay goal by Uefa.
It means that eight of McTominay’s nine goals for Scotland have been scored either in qualifying for Euro 2024 or at the tournament itself. With Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, the captain and driving force for the goal, as well as Aston Villa’s John McGinn and the reinstated Billy Gilmour, of Brighton, this core of the team was crucial in the decisive moments. Grant Hanley had a fine game in the centre of defence, a replacement for the suspended Ryan Porteous, and with some determination, Scotland powered through to the draw.
They face Hungary on Sunday in Stuttgart – a team who have been defeated twice – where a win will give them four points. As well as second place in Group A, there are four knockout places available for the best third-place teams should Scotland fail to overhaul the Swiss. Switzerland would need a point at least against the hosts Germany to secure second place.
Another Premier League player, Kieran Tierney, contracted to Arsenal but on loan at Real Sociedad last season – now surplus to Mikel Arteta’s requirements – looked to have been badly injured in the second half and is certainly out of Sunday’s game. Like Tierney, McTominay also faces a summer where he knows his club will listen to offers for him.
United would have sold McTominay last summer had an acceptable offer been made. It will be the same in this window with a single year remaining on his current deal and an option to extend that until 2026. In this Scotland team McTominay is invaluable. At United they are not always successful in controlling possession either, but for his country, McTominay is obliged to disrupt and fight as a matter of course.
“This is how we play and how we work,” said manager Steve Clarke. “As well as the aggression and the fight and that dirty side of the game.” It will be the same exhausting process on Sunday. There was 47 per cent possession for Scotland against Switzerland and no quantum of it came easy.
Scotland’s performance against Germany on Friday had brought quite some pressure to bear. Clarke had said that he had always intended to play Gilmour in this game and pointed out that the midfielder had tired towards the end. Indeed, it was very different with the Scots on top at the end. While they did not create many chances, they did at least generate some momentum.
McTominay told the BBC: “In the second half, I thought we were good in terms of how we managed the game and how we pressed them high all night. I think that meant it made a big difference in comparison to the Germany game.”
Hanley sent a header soundly against the post in the second half when the defender chose to put his face in where others stuck their boots. Never did Scotland manage a move as good as the one in the 12th minute from which they scored.
That left side is Scotland’s best attacking asset and the players were cognisant that if they could not cover the ground to get to Che Adams in attack when they won the ball, then they were not likely to do much with it at all. It began when Scotland were defending a corner and caught Switzerland out of shape.
Robertson broke out and his pace and cussedness meant that he carried it all the way to the byline. From Callum McGregor it went to McTominay in a free pocket just inside the area. Good awareness of opportunity from the midfielder, although this was not his best finish. It was deflected past the goalkeeper Yann Sommer by Schar’s touch.
The equaliser was a marvellous piece of skill from Xherdan Shaqiri, that little square of a winger, who now has the unique distinction of being the only man to score at all of the last three European championships and World Cup finals.
Shaqiri is just three caps behind his old friend Granit Xhaka, Switzerland’s record appearance maker. The former is now playing in Major League Soccer for Chicago Fire but he can still seize a chance. One loose touch from the right-sided wing-back Anthony Ralston and Shaqiri took it first time. Shaped with his left foot from the edge of the area into the top corner of Angus Gunn’s goal.
The Bologna striker Dan Ndoye and the substitute Breel Embolo would each have the ball in the Scotland goal, and both times VAR would judge the offside flag to have been correct. Nevertheless, this was a solid Scottish performance and they will need something even better on Sunday.