Russia 4-0 Scotland: Scots out of automatic Euro 2020 contention after rout
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From Alasdair Lamont
BBC Scotland in Moscow
Scotland conceded four goals at 27 minutes in Moscow as a Russia finally extinguished their slender hopes of Euro 2020 eligibility.
Steve Clarkes side held out for almost a hour before Artem Dzyuba uttered, as well as the striker took his tally to 23 – the same total as the entire Scotland squad – after Magomed Ozdoevs fierce strike. Aleksandr Golovin made it 4-0 overdue on.
Scotland took 74 moments to rally a shot and have scored three goals – and – lost 14 – in Clarkes five matches.
They remain in Group I – below Cyprus and Kazakhstan – and will end in the top two areas to secure a finals berth.
However, they could still qualify for their first tournament since 1998 via the Euro 2020 play-offs, which begin having made the opportunity to progress by winning their Nations League group.
Following 25, before ending their forlorn effort against Kazakhstan and Cyprus clarkes men host the groups basement side San Marino on Sunday.
Scotland were lulled into a false sense of safety by a passive Russian performance for nearly a hour of this match.
There were indications in that period that perhaps the Scots had found classes in recent chastening defeats by Russia and Belgium. But it soon became apparent the hosts were waiting for the second to the ante, they did with a vengeance in 13 moments.
Dzyuba was their tormentor-in-chief, bullying the hapless Scotland defence and specifically Charlie Mulgrew, that was held off by the striker since he hooked the goal from the corner of Golovin and beyond David Marshalls left hands over his mind.
Three seconds later, the game was as good as finished when the ball was worked back to Ozdoev and from 30 yards he arrowed a potent drive beyond the Scotland goalkeeper.
The Russian third – the second of Dzyuba – was that the Scotland defence at its worst. Mario Fernandes created his way unmarked to the byeline, going the ball back into the striker, who hauled Mulgrews attempted struggle to knock on on it into the web off.
It turned out to be a dissection of that which had threatened to resemble a half-decent Scotland performance. But any positivity temporarily gained into a goalless first half was completely erased when the menace of Golovin captured a shooting and in off a post.
Clarke had declared pre-match that he was searching for maximum points in the last four qualifiers, but that looked naive as asunder was torn.
Quibbled with his appointment and his premature run of fittings was a one, however its hard to overstate the magnitude of the task facing him to turn around the fortunes of a bedraggled squad.
The striker edges him, although for sheer imagination, Golovin pushed Dzyuba difficult for its accolade.
The 6ft 5in forwards power and skill are a fearsome mix as malleable as the Scots. He struck the bar with few and a different effort would have begrudged him a hat-trick on a night he tormented the life from their Scotland backline.
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