Ukraine to squeak through in emotional encounter
Scotland and Ukraine face off at Hampden Park on Wednesday evening for the chance to play Wales on Sunday. Winning in Glasgow will make the victors one step away from being one of the last qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, though it's been a much delayed fixture that at one point looked like it wasn't going to take place because of Russia's invasion. As the war is still going on several months later, it makes this match both trivial and even more meaningful at the same time. Read our preview here:
Doctor Robertson
Having missed out narrowly on another Champions League trophy, Liverpool's Andrew Robertson will be extra motivated to help lead the Tartan Army to the last hurdle in the way of their first World Cup this century. With Kieran Tierney out, he will take on a more individualistic attacking role down the left flank for Steve Clarke's side. The hosts should retain their 3-4-2-1 shape, with QPR striker Lyndon Dykes tasked with bringing Ryan Christie and the late runs of John McGinn into the attack.
Standing with Ukraine
Having not had a full international match since last November and the domestic league suspended for the last four months against the backdrop of the horrors of war that are continually unfolding. Around half of the current squad ply their trade abroad, which might inadvertently have helped on a number of levels, including match readiness. Having featured heavily in Everton's eventual escape from Premier League relegation, Vitalii Mykolenko will also be at left-back for the national team, which will allow the instinctively more attack-minded Oleksandr Zinchenko to be in midfield.
Betting tip
It's difficult to have a full grasp of what the outcome of this game will be for reasons outlined above. On paper, Ukraine arguably have a better roster, though Scotland will have home advantage to help lift them. Parimatch have odds of 2.17 for the visitors to win by any means, with almost all neutrals wishing them success.
