Scotland will take a slender advantage into the second leg of their Nations League relegation playoff match against Greece, after Scott McTominay’s first half penalty gave Steve Clarke’s side a third win on the spin.
The Scots were hugely impressive in the opening 45 minutes, playing with poise and carrying a goal threat, and while the penalty they were awarded was a debatable one, the Napoli midfielder took full advantage.
The second half saw a Greek onslaught towards the Scotland goal, but despite some scary moments and a nervy VAR check for a penalty against Grant Hanley, the gutsy visitors held out to secure a famous win.
Here are the talking points from Piraeus…
Penalty? We’ll take it
When the first thought that enters your head after your team is awarded a penalty is ‘we’ll take it’, then you know it might well be an award of the soft variety.
As McTominay barrelled into the Greece area on the half hour, the ball broke between the big midfielder and home right-back Lazaros Rota.
The Napoli man tried to shift the ball to his right, while Rota tried to hoof it clear, and it looked on first viewing as if McTominay then slipped and the Greek missed everything. Referee Tobias Stieler though pointed to the spot, and then it was over to the VAR room.
Even after a couple of replays, it wasn’t really clear what had actually happened. If there was contact between the players, it appeared McTominay may well have been the one who initiated it, but there also didn’t seem to be any compelling televisual evidence to overturn the on-field official’s call.
Therefore, the penalty stood, and if it was a fortunate award, it may also have been argued that the Scots earned their slice of luck with a composed and accomplished first half performance.
McTominay stepped up, and despite the attempts of the home supporters to blind him with lasers, he calmly tucked the spot-kick away and the Tartan Army were delirious.
McTominay a towering presence
What a key player McTominay has become. For all the accomplishments of Alex McLeish as both a player and manager for his country, getting McTominay to commit to Scotland all those years ago is right up there among them.
Quite apart from the penalty he won and scored, McTominay’s all-round play and physicality sets so much of the tone for this team. The confidence he exudes and the way he carries himself on the field seems to transmit itself to his teammates.
His goal here was his 12th for his country, but he also proved his worth at the other end by winning some vital defensive headers.
Prior to the game, McTominay spoke of how annoyed he was that Scotland were even in the position of having to play a relegation playoff, believing that the national side had shown themselves to be good enough to compete with the best in their section.
Now, they are getting the results along with the performances, and no one has played a bigger part in that than the former Manchester United man.
Clarke vindicated by Tierney call as he sticks with back four
It was something of an eyebrow-raiser when Kieran Tierney was left on the bench by the Scotland manager, but when you consider how his team have performed with a back four at its base of late, then perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise.
The backline of Anthony Ralston, John Souttar, Grant Hanley and Andy Robertson with veteran keeper Craig Gordon behind them had conceded just one goal in their last three games prior to this one, which came in the win in Warsaw last time out, with shutouts against Portugal and Croatia.
The biggest question mark was over Hanley, who has had so little game time at club level, but Clarke trusted him once more and he didn’t let his country down. Though, his heart was in his mouth along with every other Scot when he tripped Manolis Siopis late on and a penalty was awarded, only for VAR to show the contact was outside the box. The big man earned the break.
As well as the impressive organisation they showed between them all, each of the back four individually had to stand up and be counted, putting their bodies on the line and winning headers, particularly in the second half as the smarting Greeks came roaring out of the traps and had their foots to Scottish throats.
They did so manfully, and while Christos Tzolis hit the post and then the excellent Souttar got fortunate as an effort from the same player broke off him and trickled wide, it was a heroic defensive effort.
Adams impresses, but lacks clinical edge
It’s the age-old issue that has plagued Scotland for years, with generations lamenting the absence of the world-class strikers of old.
What Clarke does have at his disposal is a group of very good forwards, as Che Adams showed here. The Torino forward has nine goals in Italy this season so far, but while there was so much to admire about his general play, he passed up a couple of great opportunities to get on the scoresheet.
The best of which was when Billy Gilmour seized upon an error from goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and played him in, but he snatched at his effort and hit it straight at the Greek number one as he scrambled back onto his line.
He did so well on the few occasions the ball came his way in a second half when the Scots were under siege, and if he could just add something more of a clinical edge to his game, what a player Scotland would have on their hands.
Konstantinos Karetsas will be a threat
The young Genk midfielder has been courted by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid, and on the evidence of his second half impact here, it is easy to see why.
He was immediately into the action on the Greek right, and his box of tricks caused Robertson all sorts of issues.
The Liverpool captain eventually got to grips with the hot prospect, but he is one who will pose a threat at Hampden this Sunday.
