Scotland coach hopeful of defeating ‘world-beaters’ Belgium

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has endorsed Belgium’s credentials as potential 2014 World Cup winners - but insists his revitalised Scotland side can hand them a rare defeat in Glasgow tonight, writes The Scotsman’s Stephen Halliday. The Belgian national team arrived in Glasgow with an all-time high Fifa world ranking of 10th and are rated as fifth favourites by bookmakers to lift football’s biggest prize in Brazil next summer. Scotland were the first European nation to be eliminated from the competition after taking just two points from their first four games in Group A. Belgium, in stark contrast, are the only unbeaten team in the group and another victory tonight would take them to the brink of automatic qualification for the finals. But, although Strachan shares the widespread admiration for a Belgian squad laden with rich talent plying their trade in Europe’s elite leagues, he is convinced his players are capable of upsetting the odds this evening. “We know that Belgium are capable of beating us if we are not at our best but we also know that we can beat Belgium,” he said Strachan. “With the players Belgium have, I’m sure they will be thinking they can do very well in the World Cup. They have 18 terrific players. Are they up there with Spain? It would be a good game between them. Spain and Belgium have different football philosophies, but it would be a good game to watch. They are a terrific side and I think they are a football team that can play any type of football. They can play short passes, long passes. If you want to make it a scrap, they will scrap with you. They are athletic. I read an article that said, if you pick their best 11 players against the best 11 players anywhere in the world, they are the third most expensive team in the world. That is some going. Glasgow’s Hampden Park will host its biggest away support for several years, with 7,000 Belgian fans in the stadium. But, despite Scotland’s recent signs of improvement, the home allocation of tickets has not sold out.