Belarus vs Scotland – Match preview and team news

Scotland face Belarus in World Cup qualification on Monday evening, aiming to build on a solid start.

Steve Clarke’s side held Denmark to a goalless draw in their opener, ahead of facing a Belarus team who were hammered 5-1 by Greece.

That heavy defeat to Greece exposed defensive issues, and Belarus will bid to tighten up tonight. Scotland come into the clash following a solid, disciplined display that earned them a hard-fought draw against Denmark in Copenhagen.

Maxim Kireev is ruled out of the fixture due to injury, which leaves Carlos Alos with limited options in his squad rotation. Pavel Pavlyuchenko is expected to start in goal despite concerns over his performance against Greece, where he conceded five goals. Belarus have shipped nine goals in their last two games.

Herman Barkovsky could come into the team after scoring as a substitute against Greece, providing some hope for the attacking unit. Head coach Alos admitted his team’s poor defensive display against Greece left him questioning his tactical approach, stating the first goal “broke the players” psychologically.

Scotland face a few hurdles ahead of their clash with Celtic defenders Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston out due to injuries. Josh Doig has been called into the squad as a replacement.

In midfield, Scott McTominay is set to be the engine room once again, alongside captain John McGinn. The former has started the season impressively at Napoli after last season’s Serie A MVP award.

Despite Belarus’s recent thrashing, Steve Clarke has insisted that Scotland will treat tonight’s opponents with ultimate respect as the Tartan Army look to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

After a run of three wins, Belarus has now lost the last two matches, including their recent qualifier opener against Greece. Underdogs in Group C, Belarus will want to bounce back to remain in contention for a first World Cup qualification.

Scotland started their qualifying campaign after showing some strong resilience and holding out against Denmark for a 0-0 draw. Clarke’s side have won four of their last seven in all competitions.

Belarus: Pavlyuchenko; Pigas, Martynovich, Zabelin, Pechenin; Yablonski, Korzun; Gromyko, Ebong, Kovalev; Barkovsky.

Scotland: Gunn; Hickey, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; McGinn, McTominay, Ferguson; Christie, Adams; Dykes.

UK Fans and viewers alike can watch the game on BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.

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