Belgium 2 Scotland 0

By Roddy Forsyth, in Brussels

Three years of Craig Levein’s management were finished in the space of three minutes in Brussels, as goals fashioned in the Premier League put an end to Scotland’s frail hope of qualifying for the World Cup finals.

The manager got a decent show until the 69th minute, when Christian Benteke rose at the back post to meet a cross from Kevin De Bruyne, who had been supplied by substitute Eden Hazard, to plant it behind the doughty Allan McGregor, whose first-half heroics had kept Belgium at bay. In the 72nd minute it was all over when Hazard prompted Vincent Kompany to stride into the Scots’ box and almost rip the net from its frame with a shot of venomous power.

Levein placed his faith in the team that lost 2-1 to Wales on Friday night, with one exception. Charlie Adam had replaced the injured Scott Brown at half-time in Cardiff but was blamed for allowing Gareth Bale the space to score Wales’s winner and preference was granted to James McArthur.

While England were waterlogged in Warsaw, the Scots were almost swamped in Brussels as Belgium flowed in relentless tidal waves towards McGregor. The Besiktas goalkeeper, however, produced the performance of his Scotland career to keep his side in the contest.

He was forced to make a decisive block from Dries Mertens within two minutes in what proved to be the first act of a shooting gallery which saw Nacer Chadli, De Bruyne, Moussa Dembele and Benteke all have multiple attempts blocked or despatched narrowly wide.

The Scots could scarcely get possession, nor keep the ball when they had it and even Darren Fletcher committed a howler when he was caught out for another Belgian swoop which saw Mertens’ cross half cleared to Chadli, whose drive from the edge of the box narrowly missed the target.

Yet, in another illustration of the mesmerising capriciousness of football, Scotland contrived two fine chances, both from set-pieces.

The first, midway through the half, came when Kris Commons was upended 30 yards out. Shaun Maloney delivered the free-kick with power and precision and it was arrowing towards the top corner until Thibaut Courtois launched himself to tip around the post. The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper had to repeat the feat in almost identical circumstances when Maloney was fouled and Commons stepped up. Again the ball was on the mark and again Courtois demonstrated his sharp reflexes to turn the effort wide for a corner. At the other end a cross from Toby Alderweireld was diverted by McGregor just as Benteke strained to tap in.

Such hope as had been nourished within the Scots’ dressing room at half-time was swiftly put into perspective as Belgium opened at the same racing tempo they had displayed earlier. The writing was on the wall in tall letters when De Bruyne crossed for Benteke to outjump the Scottish defenders only to see his header skim off the top of the crossbar.

The Tartan Army thought it was a reprieve. Instead, the Aston Villa striker was merely sharpening his axe. Now another one is set to fall, this time upon Craig Levein’s exposed neck.

Match details

Belgium (4-1-4-1): Courtois; Alderweireld, Kompany, Vermaelen, Vertonghen; Witsel; De Bruyne, Dembele (Hazard h-t), Mertens (Mirallas 55), Chadli; Benteke (Llombe 86).
Subs: Mignolet (g), Ciman, Mboyo, Van Buyten, Defour, Lombaerts, Vossen, J-F Gillet, Simons, G Gillet. Booked: Chadli. Goals: Benteke 69, Kompany 71.
Scotland (4-2-3-1): McGregor; Hutton, Caldwell, Berra, Fox; McArthur, D Fletcher; Commons (Mackie h-t), Morrison, Maloney; S Fletcher (Miller 76).
Subs: Gilks (g), Marshall (g), Mulgrew, Cowie, Adam, Martin, Phillips, Webster. Booked: McGregor.
Referee: T Hagen (Norway).
Att: 44,047

Taken from telegraph.co.uk