After two rounds of fixtures in which everything went our way, Scotland suddenly find themselves in pole position to snatch a play-off place for next year’s World Cup Finals.
If we win our next three matches, and the other games go as expected, the Scots will have an unassailable total of 20 points ahead of the final tie at home to Denmark.
Austria can no longer reach that, while Israel can only do so by winning either at Hampden or in Vienna and avoiding defeat in the other fixture.
Austria’s capitulation in Haifa last weekend had opened the door for Steve Clarke’s team, and they took full advantage with an excellent performance at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
It was as strong a defensive showing as I can remember in recent times, Craig Gordon being called to make just a single save of note, and we created more and better chances than the home side. A couple of decisions benefited the Scots, but others went against us, and the win was thoroughly merited.
Goodnight, Vienna.#AUTSCO pic.twitter.com/1g2ED2HjPu
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 7, 2021
There was, once more, the issue in front of goal, something that was even more evident in the middle game of the triple-header, but in the final analysis that didn’t matter in either encounter.
In actual fact, there was plenty to enjoy about the victory over Moldova with some really good individual performances and decent football, but our frailties up front made it a much nervier night than it should have been.
Vienna was just as nerve-wracking, not so much because of what Austria were doing, but just because with Scotland, you can never take anything for granted.
And that applies to the next three games.
All three will be crucial to our hopes, but it is the Hampden meeting against Israel that will set the mood for the trips to the Faroes and Moldova.
We know from past recent experience that it is likely to be anything but easy. In the past three years, the Israelis have come to Glasgow three times. They have drawn twice (losing the second of those in a penalty shoot-out) and only lost the first encounter because Allan McGregor pulled off a world class save right at the end.
In Munas Dabbur, and particularly the astonishing Eran Zahavi, they possess a clinical, reliable goal threat we simply cannot match right now, and it will take another similar rock-solid defensive performance to keep them quiet. The absence through suspension of Grant Hanley will be a miss as he looks a much-improved player, but we have cover there, and should be able to cope.
A draw would not definitely be a killer, but it would open up a route for Israel, and if they were to emulate our feat of winning in the Austrian capital, it would almost certainly mean Scotland having to beat Denmark to clinch second spot.
That is not a scenario we want to envisage, so that next match has to be viewed as a must-win to relieve the pressure a little.
There is also the incentive of gaining enough points to secure the advantage of being seeded should we make the play-offs. As things stand, we are fairly well placed in that respect with two groups already all but out of the running, but the higher the total we can achieve, the better.
Chance for Dons to close gap on Edinburgh pacesetters
The Dons resume their Premiership campaign at Fir Park this afternoon and it will be interesting to see if Stephen Glass and his coaching staff have been able to put the international break to good use.
Like the national team, Aberdeen have concerns when it comes to showing a ruthless attitude in the penalty area; I would hope that has been the main area they have been working on at Cormack Park in the past fortnight.
With Hearts and Hibernian going head-to-head at Tynecastle tomorrow, there is a real chance for us to capitalise, and this is exactly the kind of game we need to be targeting.
Motherwell have been a bit inconsistent at the start of the season, but have looked better in the last few matches, with Tony Watt to the fore.
Neutralising him, and getting it right where it matters, will go a long way towards securing three valuable points.
