GLASGOW (Reuters) – Scotland will not get carried away with their surprise 2-0 victory over Spain on Tuesday, but the result is a step forward for the team and a blueprint for how to maximise scraps of possession, according to manager Steve Clarke.
A brace of goals from Scott McTominay handed Scotland their first win over Spain since 1984 and a perfect start to their Euro 2024 qualification campaign with six points from two matches.
“I’m delighted with the performance,” Clarke told Viaplay. “I thought the players were outstanding from first minute to last.
“The dynamic, enthusiasm and quality of the team didn’t change. It’s a big night, it feels like a step forward, but it’s only six points and you don’t qualify with six points. One bad game can set you back, so we stay focused and keep our feet on the ground.”
Spain had 67% of the possession, but Scotland managed more attempts on goal in the game, nine to the visitors’ eight.
“We didn’t have an awful lot of possession, but what we did have, we used very, very well,” Clarke said. “The defensive shape’s good, the distance between the units was really good, which stops a large part of Spain’s game.
“When you look at the stats, you know you’ve been out-passed, but when you look at the shots on goal, shots on target – it’s almost equal. It means we utilised the ball very well when we had it, which is obviously pleasing.”
Clarke will take time to digest the result before thinking ahead to Scotland’s next matches in June, away in Norway and home to Georgia.
“I’ll have a couple of quiet days to calm down, and then we start preparing for two big games, because June could be a pivotal month for us,” he said.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Toby Davis)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.