EURO 2016 QUALIFYING – Scotland v Germany After a 2 week vacation Bo is back but this week we take a break from domestic league action as international football returns with a vengeance as the qualification campaign for Euro 2016 gets under way. As a Scotland and Rangers fan it feels like a long time since I had a match to get truly excited about but finally such an occasion is on the horizon again as a rapidly improving Scotland travel to Germany to take on the new World Champions in front of 80000 supporters at the home of Borussia Dortmund on Sunday Evening (kickoff 2045 CET) This year the qualifying campaign has been revamped with matches spread over the course of 3 days and with the expansion of the tournament in 2016 to 24 teams, we now have 23 qualification places up for grabs to join hosts France in 2 years time.
With the Scots unbeaten in 6, including 4 away wins, there is a real wave of optimism that this will finally be the campaign when we break our long absence from international tournament football and with a new found swagger under the ginger prince Strachan, there is a genuine belief, almost an expectation that Scotland have to get through a group which offers automatic qualification for the top 2 and a playoff place for the side finishing in 3rd position. With Germany, Poland, Ireland, Georgia and Gibraltar to deal with, this is no forgone conclusion but unquestionably this represents the best opportunity Scotland has had to qualify in many years. I genuinely believe/hope/pray that Scotland will qualify for their first tournament since 1998, coincidentally a tournament also held in France and with such scripts ready to be written in Scottish stars, Sunday’s match against the World Champions gives this Scottish team a chance to show the rest of the group what they can do while also getting their hardest fixture out of the way. The pressure is completely off the Scots on Sunday while Poland and Ireland face much more expectation in their away visits to Georgia and Gibraltar where both will be expected to win and if one of them fails to do so, then Scotland will already be happy after matchday 1, even if they lose. It has been 16 long years since Scotland last qualified for a tournament but with an increased number of qualifiers, a good manager and our best squad in years I remain utterly convinced that finally, yes finally, no really, FINALLY THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR YEAR!! But all that is still to come on another day and our first challenge as mentioned is surely our toughest with an away day assignment against the newly crowned kings of world football in their own back garden. Since that triumph in Brazil in July, the Germans have lost their captain Phillipe Lahm, defensive lynchpin Per Mertesacker and goal scoring legend Miroslav Klose, all to retirement while Jerome Boateng is doubtful to play and with Sami Khedira, Bastain Schweinsteiger and Mezut Ozil all missing through injury this could be Scotland’s best chance to become unofficial World Champions again (see 1967, Wembley). Really I am not being silly. Ok, maybe a little. Our defence is still not great and we have 2 key players missing ourselves on Sunday in the shape of captain Scott Brown and Hull forward Robert Snodgrass but despite this I really do have a genuine optimism for this game and dare I say it, a feeling in my bones, and I truly believe we could be about to see something special from a group of Scottish players who are so utterly desperate to end the years of misery our nation has had to endure in the 21st century. I have seen us walloped by Wales, humped and humiliated by Holland, and nailed in Norway and countless more days of utter despair supporting a team that almost never makes you happy. Am I masochist? No I am just a simple Scot with a dream to follow his nation into a big summer tournament and I strongly believe that 2016 will be the year we put that record to bed. My only worry is that a Scottish victory (yes it’s a fairly large hypothetical) could swell the Yes vote coffers on September 18 to secure independence and can you just imagine that fat little toad Salmond’s face if Scotland were to actually win on Sunday (god help us if it is a yes on the 18th) Presumably he would jump fat face first onto another Scottish sporting success bandwagon as he so shamelessly did last summer when Sir Andy Murray won Wimbledon and the sad little opportunist that he is waved the saltire in a true burst of nationalism that was utterly unnecessary as we shared in a uniquely British sporting occasion. Anyways, it’s going to be a cracking night in Dortmund on Sunday and if you fancy a bet there are some fairly interest and outrageous prices flying about for this one. 16/1 on Scotland to win? Yes that really is the price the bookies have afforded us (our longest ever odds to win a match) and while it seems highly unlikely on paper that Scotland can win, I have a feeling in my waters that this could be a great night for Scottish football. I would be something of a lunatic to suggest we are going to win, but can we take a point? Or even score a goal? All will be answered on Sunday but for now I will leave you with my best bets and predictions for the big game. Bo’s Best Bets Germany v Scotland – BTTS 11/10 - WINNER Scotland (plus 2 goals on handicap) to beat Germany – 7/5 - WINNER Bo’s Bonkers Bet Steven Naismith to score first – 18/1 Germany 1 v 2 Scotland – 50/1!!!!! Comments are closed.
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