Scotland’s abysmal UEFA Nations League campaign faces a ‘make or break’ task as they host Croatia at Hampden Park on Friday evening.
While there are perhaps more exciting fixtures when it comes to football on TV, this is the most significant game for Steve Clarke’s side.
Their survival in League A hangs by a thread following a dreadful Group A1 start.
Scotland went above and beyond to hold a more heavily fancied Portugal to a scoreless home draw last time out.
It was a morale-boosting outcome but barely enough to ease the Scottish players’ nerves following three consecutive defeats at the beginning of their maiden Division A appearance.
Despite their woeful post-Euro 2024 form, Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay insists Clarke’s charges remain hellbent on becoming the ‘most successful Scotland team in history’ via the Daily Record.
Croatia will put McTominay’s statement to the test as they bid to lock down a place in the quarter-finals after building a three-point lead on third-placed Poland.
Barren run
Scotland’s underwhelming form stretches beyond the ongoing Nations League cycle.
Clarke’s men have picked up just one win in their last 16 internationals, courtesy of a 2-0 friendly triumph against minnows Gibraltar in June (D5, L10).
However, they’re without a win in competitive action in their last ten outings (D4, L6), including a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in October’s reverse fixture.
Scotland lost that encounter despite breaking the deadlock, suggesting a lead wouldn’t guarantee they’ll end a six-match winless run on home soil (D3, L3).
Resurgent side
Like Scotland, Croatia failed to make it out of the group stages at Euro 2024.
Demoralised after that disappointing result, the Blazers commenced their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 loss at Portugal.
But they got back on track with back-to-back one-goal margin wins against Poland and Scotland in the follow-up.
Zlatko Dalic’s team seemed destined to make it three wins in a row, only to throw away a two-goal lead in a goal-glutted 3-3 draw at Poland in round four.
