Were tonight’s World Cup play-off semi-final decided by public vote, it would be a walkover. Taking this month’s Eurovision Song Contest as evidence, the groundswell of continent-wide support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion is such that Scotland would be handed a hammering the like of which they have not experienced even in the bleakest moments of the 24-year World Cup exodus they are seeking to end.
Fortunately for Steve Clarke and his side, goals not phone calls will determine who goes on to face Wales for a place in Qatar, with Hampden Park, not the court of public opinion, the stage, though even that will be lacking a touch of its usual pre-match hostility, with home fans set to join in the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem in a show of unity.
