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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Sport
Will Lancaster

Scotland 2 Georgia 0 as hazardous Hampden sees fourth straight Tartan Army win - 3 things we learned

Scotland battled to a 2-0 win over Georgia despite torrential rain threatening to derail the Tartan Army's Euro 2024 qualification campaign.

Torrential downpour at Hampden saw the game start regardless, but even a couple of minutes into the game, you could see that there would be problems. Angus Gunn was almost caught out twice with the ball sticking in the danger area a lot quicker than he anticipated. Even Aaron Hickey's jinking run saw him leave the ball behind as it stuck in the turf, but then Scotland scoring a corner - with Callum McGregor scoring from a knockdown - surprisingly had the Tartan Army 1-0 up.

But a VAR check had the result in doubt; not for the goal, but for the referee to liaise with other officials to see whether the game would be called off. After much deliberation from other players, the players were hauled off - with the game resuming exactly an hour after the goal.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou discovers Tottenham EPL fixture fate with Manchester United and Arsenal in first six

John McGinn and McTominay went close with efforts in the first half, and whilst Scotland kept the pressure up, a second goal was needed to settle any nerves with the second half only beginning at 10:30pm. And McTominay did what he does best at Hampden; notching a goal extremely similar to his second against Spain to put clear daylight between the two teams.

It's an ideal start for Steve Clarke's side, who realistically only needs one more win to send his side their plane tickets for Germany - Glasgow Live takes a look at three talking points on a busy night at Hampden.

Wet And Wild

How on earth the referee deemed this one playable was absolutely ridiculous. It was apparent from the first few minutes, especially in the flank closest to the dugout, that the ball wasn't going anywhere unless it was in the air.

A shot from Georgia gave Angus Gunn jitters as it slowed down towards the goal, alongside Ryan Porteous' header which almost caught the Norwich man out. Aaron Hickey's run saw him end up yards ahead of the ball - and an hour of sweeping, draining and waiting took place.

Even Callum McGregor's goal potentially had a role to play. The ball slipped off of the Georgia goalkeeper Georgi Mamardashvili's gloves, before the ref called play to a halt. Even when the game got back underway, the puddles were still evident - albeit much less. Props to the ground staff.

Amazing Aaron

Aaron Hickey has been perhaps overshadowed thanks to Scotland's abundance of full-backs in the past, with Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney taking centre-stage in that department thanks to their rapid rises in European competitions and beyond.

But with the right-back slot needing filling of recent, he's been the shining star in that position. Fitting all three players into a system could prove to be a difficult one, but Steve Clarke has mastered that and got the defence clicking perfectly.

A superb touch just after the 'water break', alongside keeping Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet throughout, means that he could be a long-term fixture in the Tartan Army squad.

Scotty on the spot

He's been an unlikely scorer for Scotland in recent years, but Scott McTominay has been exceptional when the push comes to shove.

Two goals to wrap up the Cyprus win, his double against Spain which draw Rodri to tears and another superb goal tonight has seen him become a fan favourite at Hampden.

A superbly drilled finish beyond the Georgian defence wrapped the game up, and his improvement in goalscoring credentials are easy for everybody to see.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up in the summer with Manchester United possible moving him on. They might just be making the wrong decision if he continues this form.

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