“What’s the lesson you take away from this? You’re better being lucky than good,” former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart said on BBC Sportsound.
Luck does not last long, though, as Steve Clarke’s side found out against the Greeks in March.
It was a similar story in Athens in the first leg of their Nations League relegation play-off, with Scott McTominay’s first-half penalty earning the Scots a first-leg win.
In the second leg, Clarke’s men were totally outclassed and lost 3-0. Thursday marked the third straight match in which Greece have dominated Scotland.
“We were given a football lesson,” former Scotland defender Willie Miller said. “But we gave a lesson on winning.”
Former Scotland winger Neil McCann added: “Clarke will know that isn’t a vintage Scotland performance, but it was a vintage result.”
Performance aside, with seven points on the board and bottom seeds Belarus to face on Sunday, Clarke’s side have given themselves a great chance of ending the nation’s 27-year World Cup hoodoo.
However, the Scotland boss will be aware that poor displays could catch up on his side. How does he combat that?
Clarke’s Scotland look better when they embrace chaos and do not stand off it, especially in home matches, when they can use a rocking home crowd to their advantage.
For over an hour on Thursday,his team looked like it was playing with the handbrake on against a side ranked 40th in the world, just three places above Scotland.
The Tartan Army will demand a more front-footed approach when Belarus are welcomed to Hampden on Sunday. An expected win in that would put Scotland in a fantastic position.
Clarke will then have a month to address any worries before a potentially tenure-defining camp in November.
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