The Scottish media do not spare enthusiastic epithets to describe the victory of the national team over the Ukrainian team in the League of Nations - 3:0. They obviously did not expect such a convincing game and superiority over the competitor. Journalists also note the new defense scheme that head coach Steve Clark used this time, and are surprised at the physical form of the Ukrainian national team.
“After a stunning 3-0 victory over Ukraine, Scotland have secured a fantastic chance to win their Nations League group, which has serious implications for qualifying for Euro 2024,” he said. Scottish Daily Express. — Substitute Lyndon Dykes scored a brilliant header double, building on the success that John McGinn had begun. The Scots simply shocked the Ukrainians after an equal first half, which turned out to be somewhat hectic and was remembered for Nathan Patterson's injury.
Scotland came out on top of the group, two points ahead of Ukraine. The teams have two matches left to play, and the final one is again between themselves, but already in Warsaw.
Winning the group will guarantee a place in the play-offs for Euro 2024, and will also give a higher seeding in the qualifying stage of the competition."
“A 0-0 draw would not have been the worst result for Scotland in this match with Ukraine, which could not be lost,” believes Scottish sun. - But three sensational goals in 16 minutes brought the Tartan Army three most important points.
Critics must have shaken their heads in disapproval when they saw Clark abandon his usual defensive three in favor of a new four-back formation. And this is in a game of great importance!
But the main reason Clark favors three-backs is because he can use two of his team's strongest players, Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson, with this set-up. And since the latter was injured, the coach had no need to adhere to this scheme this time.
By the way, Scotland with four defenders also completed the last painful playoff game for reaching the World Cup with Ukraine. True, immediately six players from the team that played that fateful evening, for one reason or another, did not get into the starting lineup. But then Ukraine looked different: the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal was a big plus for Scotland, given how much he dominated the last head-to-head game in June."
“Before the start of the match, the expected exclamations and ridicule were heard from the stands during the minute-long applause to the Queen from those who cannot sit or stand still for 60 seconds.
But the way Clark's team started the game got the masses on their feet and making the right noise. Scotland has been amazing from the start. An idea was seen that created constant pressure on Ukraine, and the reserve captain McGinn led the team like a real leader.
The first half was overshadowed by an injury to Patterson, who, while chasing Ruslan Malinovsky, landed clumsily on the lawn and injured his knee. As Patterson walked up the tunnel, Ukrainian boss Oleksandr Petrakov gave him a famous hug.
There was no fault of the Ukrainian midfielder in the incident with the attacker. But just a few seconds before the break, a moment arose that sent the Scottish fans into a frenzy.
Forward Che Adams tried to break through to the goal through the center, but was literally knocked out by Valery Bondar, who went on a deliberate foul to block the forward.
Italian referee Maurizio Mariani reached for a yellow card, but there was definitely a strong argument to send off the defender. A cursory glance was enough when viewing VAR ...
Every time Bondar touched the ball in the second half, he was booed by the Scottish fans. In fact, the physical preparation of Ukraine was one of the remarkable aspects of the first half. Thus, the holding midfielder of Ukraine Taras Stepanenko got into the judges book for a late tackle by McGinn, after which he was lucky to avoid another warning for a similar foul before the break. During the break, Petrakov replaced the Shakhtar Donetsk star, realizing that he might not finish this match."
Reviewers Scotsman.com also found a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey drew attention to the episode with a minute of memory in honor of the Queen:
“During the one-minute applause dedicated to the memory of the Queen of Great Britain before the Scotland-Ukraine match at Hampden Park, there were those who whistled ...
But much more than the late queen got from local fans to an unfortunate referee named Maurizio Mariani. The fans felt that the referee was not principled enough in the episode, when Bondar checked the body of Che Adams for strength. The Ukrainian, who escaped with a warning, deserved to be sent off in the opinion of the Scots, but the Italian judge decided otherwise.”
The publication also draws attention to the new scheme of the game in defense:
“Steve Clark surprised everyone by playing with a back four. Scotland gave a surprise and beat their principal rival dry. As early as last week, the coach described the advantages of the three-back formation, emphasizing that it has been serving Scotland well lately. It was all the more surprising to find in the game with Ukraine the formation that Scotland last resorted to in the match with Kazakhstan in 2019 (3:1).
The idea of playing with four defenders again against Ukraine looked stunning and radical. At the same time, a rational grain was easily visible in it. The manager clearly wanted to keep the players in the same positions they played for their clubs - for example, Patterson at Everton's right flank, and Kieran Tierney most recently played left-back at Arsenal. Accordingly, Scott McKenna and Jack Hendry made up a pair of center backs.
It was a good idea until Patterson injured his knee in the 25th minute in a collision with Ruslan Malinovsky. It was a blow not only for the Scottish fans, but also for Everton fans, because the player was able to leave the field only with outside help. Fortunately, Aaron Hickey, who replaced him, turned out to be fully prepared for such an exam and did not disappoint.
“The turning point in the game was the second half, when the hosts attacked Trubin's goal. Once, the crossbar played for the goalkeeper, and then Trubin managed to hit the ball with his foot. Still, the pressure paid off and Scotland scored three times.
Kieran Tierney became the real Scottish King Midas (who turned everything he touched into gold). In the last nine matches in which Tierney played, the Scottish team did not suffer a single defeat!
There were other heroes in Scotland. Captain and real fighter John McGinn, who replaced the injured Andy Robertson, made full use of his ability to play with his body, or rather with his backside, which someday, perhaps, will be cast from clay on a pedestal outside the Hampden.
McGinn used this remarkable quality of his to great effect, not allowing Valery Bondar (the main villain of the match, according to the Scottish fans) to get to the ball and punching Trubin with 20 minutes before the end of the match. The lock on the gates of Ukraine was broken and then the hosts scored twice more.
3-0 - a convincing victory over Ukraine, after which only one question hung in the air: "Why couldn't Scotland do it on June 1, when there was a chance to compete for getting into the World Cup?
Scotland topped Group B1 and Steve Clarke was once again a genius with a full redemption 0-3 away from Ireland."
Sergei Sytnik