SCOTLAND eased to their biggest victory in over two years against Albania in the Loro Borici Stadium on Saturday night in their penultimate Nations League match.

Alex McLeish’s men can secure a Euro 2020 play-off spot if they can win their final Group C1 fixture against Israel at Hampden tomorrow evening.

So what sort of shape are the national team in heading into their meeting with the team who beat them comfortably in Haifa last month?

EURO 2020 HERE WE COME!

Not quite. As welcome and impressive as the triumph at the weekend was, it will count for nothing if Andy Robertson and his team mates fail to follow it up with a repeat performance tomorrow evening. Nothing less than an outright win will now suffice.

Andi Herzog’s side will be far more difficult to overcome, even though they are away from home, at Hampden than Christian Panucci’s team were in Shkoder. Everything that could possibly have gone right for Alex’s McLeish’s charges went right. It is unlikely they will get quite as much good fortune again.

Mergim Macraj, the Albania captain, was sent off in the 22nd minute for inexplicably head butting Ryan Christie off the ball directly in front of Russian referee Vladislav Bezborodov after an appalling foul on James Forrest.

The match official then ruled, rather harshly, that Rei Manaj had handled a Stuart Armstrong free-kick inside his penalty box. The visitors were two goals in front and their demoralised hosts reduced to 10 men before half an hour had been played.

It was certainly a fine display that gives hope for the future. But a sense of perspective is required.

GROUNDS FOR OPTIMISM

That said, there was a great deal to savour in the showing. A change of formation, not least a switch from a three to a four man defence, worked well. Scotland looked far more solid at the back. At no stage did Albania seriously threaten. Allan McGregor didn’t have a save of note to make all evening.

It was, too, a hastily cobbled together rearguard. David Bates, omitted from the original squad, was only handed his debut at centre half when first Charlie Mulgrew and then Mikey Devlin withdrew with injuries. Similarly, Callum Paterson was selected at right back in the absence of Stephen O’Donnell and Kieran Tierney.

Both Bates and Paterson did well enough in demanding conditions and helped the visitors keep a clean sheet. But how will the national team fare when they have all of their best players available? It is an enticing prospect.

Going forward Scotland were outstanding. Stuart Armstrong, Steven Fletcher, the Ryans Christie and Fraser and Forrest all shone. Not just when they had the ball at their feet either. When their opponents were in possession they pressed them immediately and relentlessly.

The performances or Fraser and Christie in particular augur well for the national team going forward. They only have five and four caps to their name respectively. But their contributions, albeit against limited rivals who gave them a criminal amount of time and space, showed they are more than comfortable at international level

THE NATIONAL TEAM HAVE GOAL SCORERS

Much was made of the fact that Fletcher, recalled to the Scotland set-up for the first time in over a year due to injuries to Leigh Griffiths and Steven Fletcher, had more goals to his name than the rest of the squad combined before the weekend.

But Scotland showed they can net from all over the pitch. Fraser, the Bournemouth winger who has been one of the form players in the Premier League in England this season, took his chance coolly. Forrest, too, showed great composure and skill to bury both of his chances.

They could have scored more. Christie, Fraser again, Scott McTominay when he came on in the second-half and Armstrong all went close.

THE PLAYERS ARE BEHIND MCLEISH

The Scotland manager was irked by questions about whether, following no fewer than nine call-offs, he felt he had the backing of the dressing room and believed the plyers were committed to play for their country in his pre-match press conference. His men answered for him.

Their work rate throughout the 90 minutes proved they care passionately about doing well – they put their bodies on the line and threw themselves into 50-50 challenges and they bought into the game plan their coach and his assistants had devised TOTALLY.

SCOTLAND CAN BEAT ISRAEL

It is amazing how a win can transform the outlook of a nation. From being utterly despondent after the loss to Israel last month, the mood is now one of confidence and optimism. Lose, or even draw, tomorrow evening and their will be renewed calls for McLeish to be replaced.

But the former Motherwell, Hibernian, Rangers, Birmingham City and Aston Villa man has had to endure abuse, setbacks, disappointments, criticism and some real lows to get to where he is now – with an exciting young side performing well and more than capable of taking a step towards a major tournament finals.

He has experimented with players, formations and tactics since being appointed Scotland manager for a second time back in February and it has, by his own admission, not always worked.

But if the makeshift defence can hold firm and the players ahead of them can turn on the style like they did in Albania they can achieve their objective tomorrow night. Having a large and vocal crowd at Hampden will only increase their chances of success.