Scotland Overwhelms North Macedonia 2-0 In Skopje With 25 Shots And Robertson’s 100th Cap

Scotland rout in Skopje

Scotland overwhelmed North Macedonia in a UEFA Nations League match in Skopje, North Macedonia, firing 25 shots to nine and finishing with a 0-2 scoreline. Scotland did something they looked entirely incapable of doing for 80-plus minutes, and Scotland had reduced North Macedonia to the ranks of the lifeless. Andy Robertson won his 100th cap, and Scotland delivered one of his most straightforward matches of all.

Kieron Bowie scored an early goal that settled everyone down, and the BBC said Ben Gannon-Doak turned North Macedonia inside out and upside down. The match ended with Scotland’s dominance captured in the BBC’s line, "Two going on four and five, maybe six" on what it called a poor pitch in a soulless stadium.

Reporting for this sectionBBC

Numbers, lineups, and cards

BeSoccer listed the Nations League League B Group 3 matchups with Goce Sedloski as North Macedonia’s manager and Sébastien Pocognoli as Scotland’s manager.

BeSoccer’s lineup listing included Ryan Christie and Robbie Ure for Scotland, and it showed North Macedonia’s Gjorge Djekov and J. Atanasov among the players.

North Macedonia were on a three-game losing run, winless in 10, and had failed to score in their last six.

Scotland were winless in four and had not scored in their last four, while the referee was François Letexier of France.

Letexier had shown 1,392 yellow cards and 64 straight reds across 346 career fixtures on record, and it hints at a firm control style.

Reporting for this sectionSofascoreBeSoccer ES

What comes next

The BBC said Scotland’s victory lifted a burden off the head coach, Sebastien Pocognoli, and it said he now prepares for Slovenia at Hampden on Tuesday. The BBC also described the win as a good evening for the new era, and it said Scotland were exciting, entertaining and also frustrating. Sports Mole said another failure on Saturday would see Pocognoli become just the fourth Scotland manager to win none of their first three matches, and it placed the match in a context where Scotland were trying to kickstart their UEFA Nations League campaign.

Sports Mole also said Andy Robertson was set to earn his 100th cap on the left flank, while it said Kieron Bowie would hope to get another chance up front and Robbie Ure was also in contention to partner Oli McBurnie. Sports Mole concluded that it was unlikely to be a wide-open goalfest because the sides had gone through a combined 10 games without scoring, and it said Scotland should steal maximum points in Skopje.

Reporting for this sectionBBCSports Mole