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From Tom English
BBC Scotland in Hampden
Kevin de Bruyne motivated Belgium to some defeat of hapless Scotland to all but end hopes of reaching Euro 2020 through their qualification group.
The Manchester City man set up Thomas Vermaelen Romelu Lukaku and Toby Alderweireld and netted the fourth.
Steve Clarke’s side should look to next year’s play-offs because their very best hope of finishing a 22-year wait.
Victory made it six wins from six to Roberto Martinez’s Group I now leaders.
In fact, it could have been much worse to Scotland against the planet’s number one ranked side.
Scotlandin fifth course Russia by Belgium and nine factors by 12 with four games.
At that 2-1 loss at home to Russia on Friday came this evisceration from Belgium – an Eden Hazard-less Belgium after the chastening. Who needs the Real Madrid person when you have the brilliance of De Bruyne along with dire weakness from the home team, whose citizenship had been paper-bag thin, with due apologies to newspaper bags?
Scotland, with Kenny McLean, Ryan Christie, Robert Snodgrass and Matt Phillips coming in for John McGinn, Ryan Fraser, James Forrest and Oli McBurnie, had a few early moments of confidence after which a harrowing nighttime thereafter, the terror series beginning when they conceded the first goal after only two minutes. The Scots got done over the counter attack. They had been utterly reckless and naive in leaving themselves open. Incompetence in an global scale.
From the edge of their box, Belgium went like the clappers after regaining ownership by a Snodgrass free-kick, Dries Mertens and locating De Bruyne who ran loose up the left. He had space and time and far, far too excellence to its scrambling Scottish defence. He appeared, chose out Lukaku who’d strolled on goal and the Internazionale striker did the rest.
The whole matter – from Mertens to De Bruyne to Lukaku into the back of Dave Marshall’s net – took 14 seconds. It was the 49th target for his nation of Lukaku. He might have had his 50th nine minutes after if De Bruyne – who else? – dinked a stunning ball . Lukaku didn’t clip it beyond Marshall.
A second Belgium target was not long in coming. Now with a cross from the right which was poked home by Vermaelen, once more it was De Bruyne who made it. A disorganised mess at the back scotland, failed to pick up him. What problems that are gargantuan Clarke has in trying to make something resembling a defence worthy of the name.
Phillips analyzed Thibaut Courtois however a Hampden when Belgium struck just after the half-hour mark sunk ever deeper into grief. It was a free header in the De Bruyne corner, another avoidable goal. Alderweireld got from Charlie Mulgrew and thumped on his campaign in off the underside of Marshall’s crossbar.
3 De Bruyne and three goals helps. Belgium had scored 10 goals in two-and-a-half games at a year against the Scots. The thing about this hiding was without having to move out of gear, that they pulled it off. They did not need to get anywhere near their finest.
Marshall needed to tip a shot by Mertens and De Bruyne missed a chance. Sandwiched in between was a forlorn dip from Stephen O’Donnell which attracted the Scotland right-back a card for. Scott McTominay also went to the book and he will miss the trip to Russia maybe not that it matters. The goose of scotland is well and truly cooked now.
A fourth has been to get the Belgians, Lukaku being allowed to flip by some Scottish before finding the unplayable defending. Many of them had led for home after that. One must wonder just how many of them will return.
A masterclass from the playmaker with his passing, speed, awareness rather than ending ability to find distance beguiling and bemusing Scotland in equal measure. A sumptuous finish late on supplied the goal his performance richly deserved.
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