Scotland v Armenia

HAMPDEN PARK / WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2022 SCOTLAND v ARMENIA / 10
before the regular qualification
campaign for that begins next
year. It would also likely secure a
place among the second seeds
for Euro 2024 qualifying and if
Scotland were to then finish to
that seeding, ie in the top two,
they would guarantee a place at
the finals in Germany without the
stress of needing a play-off at all.
With FIFA rankings of 27
(Ukraine) and 47 (Republic of
Ireland) it seems obvious where
the main dangers are to Scotland
in this latest Nations League,
but it is the team sitting at 92nd
which arrives in Glasgow top of
the table with only one game
played so far in section B1.
Clarke and his staff have had to
take a crash course on Armenia.
Not only have these countries
never met on a football field,
Armenia’s last two results are
wildly conflicting. In March they
were mowed down 9-0 in a
friendly against Norway in Oslo
when Erling Haaland scored
twice before being substituted
at half-time. But that awful
battering shaped how they
played in their next game against
the Irish in Yerevan last Saturday.
Coach Joaquín Caparrós’ tactics
were understandably defensive
but that gave them a foothold in
the game and in the second half
they grew in confidence, began
to push Ireland back and scored
a wonderful winner from the
talented 21-year-old midfielder
Eduard Spertsyan, who plays
with Krasnodar in Russia.
In experienced attacking
midfielder Tigran Barseghyan of
Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia -
their top scorer with eight goals
from 47 caps - and playmaker
Khoren Bayramyan of Rostov
in Russia, they had others who
might also trouble Scotland.
And let no-one at Hampden
be in any doubt about the
confidence coursing through the
visitors. “It’s one of the greatest
victories of the Armenian
football team,” said Caparrós
after the Irish were beaten.
Ironically that came after the
country’s most famous footballer,
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, announced
his international retirement in
March. The former Borussia
Dortmund, Manchester United
and Arsenal star, now with Roma,
called it a day aged 33 after 32
WINNING THIS
GROUP WOULD
SECURE THE
SAFETY NET
OF A PLAY-OFF
FOR EURO
2024 BEFORE
THE REGULAR
QUALIFICATION
CAMPAIGN FOR
THAT BEGINS
NEXT YEAR