Scotland v Israel
talent to back them up. Bullish centre-
forward Shon Weissman scored 37
goals for Austrian side Wolfsberger last
season, while Shakhtar’s tricky winger
Manor Solomon is a rising talent.4
Faults line
Israel’s bigger concerns are off the
pitch. Caretaker boss Willi Ruttensteiner- a technical director who was drafted
in when previous coach Andreas Herzog
departed – has only been in the post
sinceJuly, and had not patrolled a
technical area since two matches in
charge of Austria in 2011. He says his
priority is to tighten up the back-line
and play higher up the pitch, but putting
those plans into action will not be easy.
5
Crossing the border
The increasing number of Premier
League pros in his squad can only be
a positive sign for Scotland manager
Steve Clarke. His last squad featured
eight players from England’s top flight,
while Newcastle United new boy Ryan
Fraser should be fit enough to return to
contention. The progress of Aston Villa’s
John McGinn, recruited from Hibernian
in 2018, is evidence that there is talent
to be found in the Scottish Premiership.WORLD SERVICE1
Raiding Robbo
Israel right-back Eli Dasa should
be the busiest man at Hampden Park
in this game. The Scottish 3-4-3 system
is lopsided, with marauding Liverpool
hero Andy Robertson at left wing-back
supported by Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney
on the left of a back three, with Celtic
winger Ryan Christie attacking from the
same side. As Scotland’s one and only
world-class player, Robertson must
deliver if the dream of a first major
tournament in 22 years is to stay alive.2
The enemy within
Several members of the Israel
camp will be on familiar ground in
Glasgow. Three of their current squad- the Celtic pair Nir Bitton and Hatem
Elhamed, plus Hibernian goalkeeper
Ofir Marciano – currently ply their trade
in the Scottish Premiership, and the
insider knowledge they have accrued
could be worth its weight in gold. Both
sides know each other well: this will be
Israel’s second visit to Scotland this
Autumn, having drawn1-1 in September.
3
No damp squibs here
Scotland saw a glimpse of Israel’s
attacking talent in their recent meeting.
The front two of Eran Zahavi – record
scorer for Chinese side Guangzhou
R&F – and Hoffenheim’s Munes Dabbur
combined superbly to manufacture an
equaliser in Glasgow, and there is more
Midfield maestro...John McGinnMatch-up...
Andy Robertson
and Eli Dasa