Value to be found in Scotland failing to thrash Euro cannon fodder
Published:
Under Gordon Strachan Scotland are beginning to forge a steely reputation, but for some time now the Tartan Terriers haven’t peppered the scoreboard.
Early in the Euro 2016 qualifying process the Scots are in healthy shape on seven points from four games, the same amount as world champions Germany, who remain the only side to have defeated them in Group D.
Very encouragingly for the Tartan Army their side have only conceded four times. However, it’s the meagre tally of five goals scored which creates sufficient reason to suspect they won’t trounce Gibraltar.
Odds of 1/80 on a home win tells us the result is a mere formality at Hampden Park, scoring a hatful against UEFA’s smallest affiliate nation isn’t.
Although Gibraltar have lost 7-0 twice, 4-0 and 3-0 during their opening quartet of Group D fixtures, there looks to be real value In Strachan’s men winning easily enough without issuing a spanking.
The 5/2 about just 2-3 home goals has legs when Germany were the team who could only muster four themselves on home soil against the country with a minuscule population of 30,000.
There is more evidence than this though, as in 10 games under Strachan so far, his team hasn’t broken the two-goal barrier, while Scotland haven’t actually scored more than three times in eight years.
The last country to receive a real tonking courtesy of the Scottish national team were the Faroe Islands way back in September 2006.
For all their good football the current set-up lacks a genuine international striker, instead Scotland often rely on contributions by auxiliary forwards such as Shaun Maloney and Steven Naismith, or even defenders as has been the case in their last two outings.
The 5/4 about under 4.5 total goals seems like a decent insurance policy too.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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