What Scotland must do differently against Morocco: Five bets that stand out
Steve Clarke will need to switch things up against Morocco as Scotland look to take a step towards reaching the knockout stages
While Scotland fans celebrated what for many was the first World Cup or even tournament victory in their lifetimes following the 1-0 win over Haiti, manager Steve Clarke will already have been plotting how best to approach Friday’s game against Morocco, which kicks off at 23:00 BST at the Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium). Against the nation ranked 7th in the world, the Tartan Army know they will face a much sterner test and one that will require some tactical tweaks.
Clarke is managing Scotland at a third tournament, having reached Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, but the victory against Haiti was his first in any of those. Scotland hadn’t won at a World Cup since 1990 or at any tournament since Euro 96.
John McGinn’s deflected first-half strike against Haiti secured for a generation of Scottish fans something they hadn’t tasted before. When the dust settled, however, no one was under any illusions that it was an impressive performance: changes and improvements will be essential if the Scots are to get anything against the team who just drew with Brazil.
Che Adams will lead the line
With Scotland almost certain to switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 (or perhaps even a 3-4-2-1), it is likely that Lawrence Shankland will drop out of the starting line-up and leave Che Adams with an increased responsibility as he is expected to lead the line as a lone striker. The Torino forward is valued for his work rate and running, but he will also have to be clinical with any chances that fall his way. If Scotland are to cause an upset, they will need their striker to make the most of the opportunities that come his way.
Adams is decent value as an anytime goalscorer with odds available at around 19/4.
Scott McTominay will be pushed forward
As part of that tactical switch, we can expect Scott McTominay to play a more advanced role, with Ryan Christie coming into the side to play in a deeper role alongside Lewis Ferguson. One of the main benefits of that is giving a little more freedom to McTominay after the Napoli star had a slightly underwhelming opening game, being asked to cover a lot of ground in a midfield two.
A liberated McTominay will be one of Scotland’s key attacking threats, both strong in the air and a danger arriving late in the box. Clarke will be hoping the 29-year-old makes his mark on this game. Another influential display from McTominay would only strengthen belief that Scotland can make a surprise run in the competition.
McTominay is 7/1 to have two or more shots on target and Scotland will certainly hope he manages that, especially if he’s playing a more advanced role as expected.
Can Ben Gannon-Doak be the spark again?
With Clarke certain to make some tactical adjustments, there have been some suggestions that Ben Gannon-Doak might drop out of the side to be used as a super sub. That could happen if the Scotland manager chooses to bring Kieran Tierney into the team to play with a back five.
That looks less likely, however, and part of the reason is that it’s hard to leave out Gannon-Doak, Scotland’s creative spark, a player capable of beating his man and generating chances. It was his running at the full back that led to the goal against Haiti, even if didn’t get a direct assist.
You can get odds of 4/1 on Gannon-Doak providing at least three key passes or assists in the game. If there’s a player capable of getting service to Adams in the box or the likes of McTominay and John McGinn arriving late, it’s Gannon-Doak.
Double pivot or a back five? Defensive security is vital
The main tactical choice for Clarke to decide is whether to line up in a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-4-2-1. The former would mean bringing in Ryan Christie to play in a double pivot alongside Lewis Ferguson with Scotland looking to break through Gannon-Doak on the right or balls into the channel for Adams before the cavalry of McTominay and McGinn arrive.
The alternative is bringing Tierney into the back backline to form a back three or five, with Aaron Hickey and Andrew Robertson becoming wing backs. Hickey’s pace and Robertson’s crossing could be a vital route to getting service to the attacking players.
Either way, we can expect Scotland to sit back and soak up pressure against a side who struggle against low blocks and prefer to counter attack themselves.
That said, the trickiness of the Morocco players will likely cause a few problems for Scotland, and a booking for Ryan Christie could be a necessary measure to halt some of their counter-attacks.
Scotland’s threat on the counter and from set pieces
Friday’s contest is one of the standout fixtures among the latest batch of World Cup matches. With the onus on Morocco to make something happen in this game, they may be susceptible to overcommitting, especially with full backs like Achraf Hakimi who love to get forward. If Scotland can counter and get McGinn into the space he leaves behind, that could cause problems for Mohamed Ouahbi’s side.
Scotland will also look to maximise any set pieces they can get with McTominay always a danger in the air, alongside the height of Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry. Given Morocco’s keenness to attack in a game they will view as a must win if they want to top the group, we could well see both teams get on the scoresheet, no matter the result.
