Scott McTominay continued his beautiful Euro 2024 qualifying kind as Scotland brushed apart Cyprus 3-0 to maneuver inside touching distance of Germany.
The Manchester United midfielder opened the scoring within the sixth minute within the AEK Arena in Larnaca together with his sixth aim in 5 video games earlier than Ryan Porteous volleyed in his first worldwide aim 9 minutes later.
The three factors had been successfully secured within the twenty ninth minute when McTominay arrange John McGinn for a 3rd and the Old Trafford man hit the woodwork late on because the guests cruised to victory.
Steve Clarke’s facet have now gained 5 out of 5 Group A qualifiers to sit down 9 factors forward of Spain having performed two fixtures extra.
Scotland host England in a a hundred and fiftieth anniversary heritage match on Tuesday night time and if Norway and Georgia draw of their qualifier the identical night then the Scots could have reached their second successive European Championships.
And if that state of affairs doesn’t materialise then there are nonetheless video games towards Spain, Georgia and Norway to complete the job themselves.
Scotland might hardly have been in higher kind going into the match in Larnaca, having gone eight aggressive video games unbeaten, together with wins over Spain and Norway.
And it appeared like a Scotland dwelling sport with greater than the official 3,728 Tartan Army members contained in the 8,056-capacity stadium.
Temur Ketsbaia’s group had misplaced their opening three qualifiers, together with a 3-0 defeat at Hampden Park in March and so confidence was rightly excessive within the visiting camp.
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Che Adams somewhat than Lyndon Dykes led the Scotland line, carefully supported by McGinn and McTominay they usually all mixed for the opener.
A fast Adams throw-in launched skipper Andy Robertson down the left and when he stood his cross up, McGinn flicked on contained in the six-yard field – it appeared like he had miscued it – for McTominay to go in on the again submit.
Cyprus’s constructive response noticed striker Pieros Sotiriou hit the bar a minute later however the offside flag was up earlier than attacking midfielder Grigoris Kastanos examined Scotland keeper Angus Gunn with a long-range drive.
In the thirteenth minute Kastanos got here shut with one other highly effective drive from 25 yards earlier than the Scots doubled their lead.
Robertson’s deep free-kick in to the house penalty space was headed onwards by Jack Hendry and fellow centre-back Porteous took a contact earlier than firing previous Cyprus keeper Joel Mall.
Just earlier than the half-hour mark a fantastic Scotland transfer down the best ended with McTominay organising the unmarked McGinn to curve in his seventeenth Scotland aim from the sting of the field.
Scotland had been taking part in with a swagger and McTominay drove simply vast from 20 yards earlier than McGinn shot from inside his personal half.
The pressure had gone from the sport however Kastanos once more made Gunn react rapidly to avoid wasting one other effort from distance.
McTominay virtually bought a major contact on a Robertson cross early within the second half as the sport started to really feel extra like a pleasant.
Clarke made modifications within the 66th minute with Kenny McLean and Dykes on for Billy Gilmour and Adams.
Scotland bossed the ultimate levels and within the 74th minute McTominay’s right-footed shot from the sting of the field beat Mall however rebounded off the submit, earlier than Stuart Armstrong, Nathan Patterson and Ryan Christie made cameo appearances.
England are up subsequent up and that’s at all times an enormous sport for Scotland however the Tartan Army could have one eye on the lead to Oslo on the identical night time to see if their look within the Euro finals in Germany are confirmed, though which will simply be a matter of time.
