Ryan Fraser strikes early as Scotland hold out against Czech Republic to make it eight games unbeaten
Scotland 1 Czech Republic 0
In what has become classic Scotland style under Steve Clarke, an early goal by Ryan Fraser yielded a lead that was defended against the Czech Republic for 84 minutes, during which Oli McBurnie hit the crossbar – again – and David Marshall produced yet another crucial save, denying Vladimir Darida in injury time to put the Scots four points clear of the Czechs with two qualifiers left in Group B2.
The paradox for Scotland was that the deserted Hampden stands formed the backdrop to a potential achievement that would be itself far from empty if it could be delivered. The Scots had already defied their paucity of goals by winning last week’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-final in a penalty kick decider with Israel and, with a single strike by Lyndon Dykes against Slovakia on Sunday, put themselves in a position to dominate Group 2B with a substantial comfort zone.
Clarke had suggested two likelihoods in his media preview on Monday, one being that he would likely make four changes to the side which beat Slovakia. The other was that the Czechs would be intent on remedying the 2-1 defeat inflicted by the Scots in Olomouc last month against a makeshift side cobbled together at 24 hours’ notice when Jaroslav Silhavy was deprived of his original 25-man squad by Covid-19.
In the event, Clarke made three switches, replacing the suspended Andy Robertson with Greg Taylor, the injured John Fleck with Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean – who dropped down to the bench - with Callum McGregor. The Czechs, meanwhile, named a strong team which included Vladimir Darida, of Hertha, Tomas Soucek, the West Ham midfielder and Matej Vydra, the Burnley striker filling in for coronavirus victim, Patrik Schick.
The visitors immediately looked a cut above Israel and Slovakia and had Scotland under early pressure only to be sucker punched when Lyndon Dykes rode a challenge to feed Fraser into the box to draw Tomas Vaclik and beat the goalkeeper with a low placed shot. The Czechs should have been level soon afterwards but Vydra pushed his volley on the wrong side of the post.
Scotland, though, looked equally likely on the counter and it took a sprint by Vaclik to beat Dykes to the ball just outside the box in another one on one moment. Fraser, with a little more composure, might have had a hat trick before the break but he pushed one effort narrowly wide and another just over the top, both from prompts by John McGinn.
Match details
Scotland (3-4-1-2): Marshall: McTominay, Gallagher, Considine; O’Donnell, Jack, McGregor, Taylor ((Hanlon 78); J McGinn (Paterson 78); Dykes (McBurnie 65), Fraser (McLean 69).
Subs (unused): McLaughlin (g), Robbie McCrorie (g), Paterson, McLean, Porteous, Hanlon, Ross McCrorie, P McGinn.
Booked: Dykes, Marshall.
Czech Republic: (4-2-3-1): Vaclik; Couvela (Hovorka 19), Coufal, Kudela, Boril; Soucek, Kral (Kaderabek 75); Masopust (Poznar 65), Darida, Provod (Sevcik 65); Vydra.
Subs (unused): Nguyen (g), Koubek (g), Kaderabak, Petrasek, Poznar, Sacek, Mateju, Sevcik, Malinsky, Rabusic, Novak.
Booked: Boril.
Referee: Felix Zwayer, Germany.
