Andy Halliday: Scotland need 10% boost to beat Brazil

Former Hearts, Motherwell and Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast that Scotland can go far in the World Cup if they extract a 10% performance increase, noting the team currently sit on one win and one defeat ahead of their Wednesday (23: BST) clash with Brazil. Halliday highlighted that the draw for the round of 32 could pit Scotland against either Mexico or Sweden. He said the odds of reaching the last 32 hinge on extracting that extra 10% from the squad. He described Mexico as an extremely difficult opponent, citing the challenges of playing at the Estadio Azteca with its altitude and heat. The conditions, he argued, would test any team’s stamina.

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If the opponent is Sweden, Halliday pointed out that Sweden recently suffered a 5-1 defeat to Holland. Holland, he added, finished bottom of their qualifying group. Looking beyond the round of 32, Halliday identified South Korea or Switzerland as possible opponents in the last 16. Both teams, he noted, would present different tactical challenges.

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Halliday concluded that a modest improvement in performance would give Scotland a realistic chance against Sweden. He believes that with that boost, the Scots could advance further in the tournament. Halliday told the podcast, “If we just get that 10% more out of the group and that’s all it is for me, I think we can go deep in this tournament.” He made the comments ahead of Scotland’s match with Brazil on Wednesday.