Scotland is experiencing a terrible run of results.
Steve Clarke's side have managed just one victory since September 2023, but the 0-0 draw against Portugal in their last game appears to indicate they are on the verge of a turnaround.
The Scots got off to a flying start in qualifying for the European Championship, winning their opening five matches. However, their form weakened just before the tournament and they were eliminated in the group stage after taking just one point. A 1-0 defeat to Hungary in the final match of the tournament ended an unhappy campaign.
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Scotland have yet to recover from a difficult Euro 2024
When Scotland beat Luis De La Fuente's side 2-0 in March 2023, enthusiasm was high. A 3–1 friendly defeat to England, followed by a 2–0 loss to Spain, marked the start of Scotland's decline.
Steve Clarke's men have not won a competitive match since their 3-0 victory over Cyprus 13 months ago. Since then, they have played 16 matches, including friendlies, and have only managed to secure one victory, against Gibraltar.
Over this period of 16 matches, the Scots managed to score an average of 1.06 goals per match, which is 1.13 fewer than they conceded. Scotland have faced some tough opponents during this period. Defeats to Northern Ireland and Hungary, as well as a draw against Finland, were bitterly disappointing.
The Scots have talent in their ranks that could help them put an end to this sad streak. Scott McTominay has enjoyed a good start in Serie A since joining Napoli. Billy Gilmour also benefits from regular playing time under the leadership of Antonio Conte.
Scotland's home record gives hope
Steve Clarke's team was the worst performing at Euro 2024. They have the fewest points, the most goals conceded and the worst goal difference. Scottish fans were hoping to advance out of the group stage of a major tournament for the first time in their history.
Just like Scotland, Croatia also struggled during the Euro in Germany. Two years after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, his two points were not enough to secure him a place in the round of 16. Unlike their opponents on Friday evening, Zlatko Dalic's team was able to bounce back by performing well in the Nations League.
Despite recent setbacks, Scotland's home results in competitive matches offer hope. Since Steve Clarke took over in 2019, the team have played 24 competitive matches in front of their own fans and have only lost four times. Two of those defeats came during Clarke's first six months in charge.
Scotland can boast a solid defense in their last 20 home matches. She has only conceded 16 goals, an average of 0.8 per game. Clarke's side have also scored in 18 of those 20 matches, so banking on them getting at least a point seems like a solid bet here.
The last time Scotland hosted Croatia was in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Brazil, where they won 2-0.
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