Celtic star who lost the ball 17x was Scotland's weak link v Switzerland
Celtic star who lost the ball 17x was Scotland's weak link v Switzerland
Scotland’s hopes of progressing to the last 16 at Euro 2024 are still intact, but only just after a tense encounter against Switzerland that finished 1-1.
The draw means a win against Hungary will put Scotland on four points, which could be enough to seal a place in the knockout stage – the first time ever for a Scottish side at a major tournament.
It wasn’t pretty, far from it, but it gives Steve Clarke’s men a fighting chance on Sunday in Stuttgart.
The level of performance was much better than what it was against Germany last Friday, but several players still need to improve massively for the third and final group game.
Anthony Ralston endured a nightmare on the opening night of the competition, and he wasn’t much better against the Swiss.
Anthony Ralstons game in numbers vs Switzerland
The Celtic defender lost possession 11 times, completed just 15 of his 21 attempted passes and failed to even succeed with a dribble or make a key pass against the hosts in what was a dismal display during match day one.
It perhaps wasn’t much of a surprise to see Clarke unleash him in the same role on Wednesday night given the limited options available to him, but the first half of the game showcased his limitations.
He was at fault for Xherdan Shaqiri’s stunning leveller after Scott McTominay opened the scoring for the Scots after just 13 minutes and was given a torrid time throughout.
He was given the lowest Sofascore rating out of the entire starting XI (6.3) along with completing just 59% of his passes (16/27) – eight fewer than goalkeeper Angus Gunn – taking 51 touches and losing possession a staggering 17 times during the match.
The right-back also won just 50% of his ground duels and was dribbled past twice. The question for Clarke now is, will he start him again on Sunday?
Players who could replace Anthony Ralston
The most realistic option would be Kieran Tierney. The Arsenal defender, however, had to be stretched off during the second half, and he will miss the tie against Hungary.
Ross McCrorie could be offered an opportunity at either right-back or right-wing back depending on the formation that Clarke goes with.
Of course, this is a massive gamble considering he has played a grand total of 90 minutes at international level, against Gibraltar no less, suggesting that throwing him in ahead of one of the most important matches Scotland have played this century could be a major risk.
Hungary are currently bottom of the Group A table having suffered two defeats from two matches, yet they could still pose a key threat against Scotland on Sunday evening.
Clarke will need to summon up another positive performance, but he will be keen for his side to be more effective in front of goal, especially considering they had 12 shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes on Wednesday.
Will Clarke break new ground for the nation? Or will it be a repeat of Morocco in 1998? Come Sunday evening, history could be made in Germany.
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