NOT even the Greatest of All Time could inflict the Worst Losing Run Ever on Scotland tonight.
The national team went in to their tough Nations League match against Portugal at Hampden this evening looking to avoid becoming the first in their proud history to suffer five consecutive defeats.
Being spared that unwanted record appeared, with a Portugal team that was captained by Cristiano Ronaldo and contained, among others, Bruno Fernandes, Francisco Conceicao and Diogo Jota, to be a tall order if not an impossible task.
But Steve Clarke’s men competed well with their revered rivals for long periods of the Group A1 encounter and could and probably should have gone ahead a number of times. A famous win eluded them. Still, it was a satisfying result.
This gallant and intelligent performance was, despite their results of late, further evidence they are returning to the sort of form they showed in Euro 2024 qualifying last year.
Here are five talking points from the glorious goalless draw.
Battling Bravehearts
The lengthy injury list – with James Forrest heading home with a knock on Monay it took the total number of players who are absent to 15 - which Clarke has had to contend with during this camp meant that he was unable to make extensive changes to his starting line-up.
Che Adams, as expected, replaced Lyndon Dykes up front. But that was it. The manager’s reticence to freshen things up, though, after a draining trip to Coatia was entirely understandable. This was a night for experience.
Would the Scotland players have tired legs and minds? Not a bit of it. They started proceedings impressively, passed the ball about with confidence, retained possession and created some excellent scoring opportunities.
They put an awful lot of effort into the match and you feared they would be hit by a sucker punch at the end. Ultimately, however, their lack of strength in depth did not cost them. Lewis Morgan, Ryan Gauld, Dykes and Devlin, who made his debut, injected energy and invention in the closing stages.
When Roberto Martinez put on Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao after an hour it highlighted the gulf in quality between the two nations. Craig Gordon did superbly to block Fernandes late on. Denying Portugal victory was a fine achievement.
Profligate finishing
In the first half, Scott McTominay had a header saved by Diogo Costa after rising and meeting an Andy Robertson delivery, Adams came agonisingly close to getting on the end of an Anthony Ralston pass and Ryan Christie got a long-range volley on target.
Those positive passages of play delighted their compatriots in the stands. But the more discerning observers among them would have feared the worst. Against a team like Portugal you really have to bury your chances when you get them.
Clarke’s charges got to half-time with the scoreline still level. But they had to withstand intense pressure from the visitors to avoid falling behind and there were a fair few nervous moments. Gordon did well to push a curling Nuno Mendes free-kick out for a corner.
Robertson found Adams in front of goal with a cross early in the second half after linking well with Ben Doak down the left flank. But the forward’s glancing effort finished well wide of its intended target.
Scotland went into the match looking to triumph against Portugal for the first time since they romped to a 4-1 win at Hampden in a European Championship qualifier way back in 1980. Sir Kenny Dalglish, Andy Gray and Steve Archibald were all on target on that occasion. Oh, to have strikers like that these days.
CR7
The Tartan Army flocked to Mount Florida in their tens of thousands and filled every available seat in the hope of seeing Scotland record a famous result against mighty Portugal.
But was the chance to see Ronaldo in the flesh before the global football icon blows the final whistle on his long and remarkable playing career also a reason that a full house was in attendance?
If any home supporter denied that was part of the attraction they would have been telling fibs.
The 39-year-old had started and scored in his national team’s 3-1 win over Poland in Warsaw on Saturday – picking up his 215th cap and taking his haul of goals at international level to 133 in the process.
But Martinez, who had spoken about the difficulties of playing four away games in the space of four days at his pre-match press conference in Paisley, had no qualms about pitching his talisman in from the start.
Ronaldo’s first touch of the ball was booed by the crowd (they would love it if he played for their team) but he was undeterred. He forced a save from Craig Gordon shortly after and continued to probe the hosts’ rearguard. But he looked his age at times tonight.
He is nowhere near, as was witnessed at Euro 2024 finals in Germany during the summer, the footballer he once was.
Doak delight
Clarke stressed the danger of “overhyping” Ben Doak this week in the wake of the Liverpool winger’s encouraging display against Croatia at the weekend.
But the 18-year-old, who has been farmed out to Middlesbrough on loan, has shown why there has been so much excitement about him in his homeland for so long during this double header.
The ex-Celtic kid, who only made his first start for his country at the weekend, has areas of his game which he can improve, not least his final ball. But he did not look out of place in such exalted company. He received a warm ovation when he was replaced by Morgan.
Salmond remembered
The former First Minister Alex Salmond, who passed away on Saturday after suffering a heart attack in North Macedonia, loved his football despite being a Hearts fan and often joined the Tartan Army for big games.
He was honoured before kick-off with a minute’s applause by everyone inside the ground and would have been proud of his country’s gutsy display if he had been alive to witness it.
