Spain vs Scotland Tips and Predictions
Spain and Scotland resume their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on Thursday, October 12. It will be the 2010 World Cup champions who will host the Scots at La Cartuja in Sevilla, with the kick-off scheduled for 8:45 pm local time.
The match will be extremely important for the final standings in Group A, where Scotland currently sits first with 15 points after five games. La Roja, meanwhile, are second with nine points and one game in hand. Norway, who is just two points behind and is facing Cyprus on the same day, is putting pressure on the side coached by Luis de la Fuente, which we will reflect on in our Spain vs Scotland tips.
Over 2.5 goals
Spain and Scotland are the two best defences in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group A, having conceded three goals and one goal respectively. Nevertheless, we expect a high-scoring game on Thursday, and Bet365 offers 1.70 odds on over 2.5 goals in the match at La Cartuja.
The main reason for it is Spain’s recent performances. While De la Fuente’s men had a slow start in the qualifying campaign, their two previous matches left no doubt about their true potential, as they defeated Georgia 7-1 on the road and Cyprus 6-0 at home. Main goalscorers Alvaro Morata, Joselu, Ferran Torres are all in top form and have been summoned by La Roja again.
Scoring six or seven against Scotland will be no easy task, for sure, but Spain may be able to get at least a couple. Besides, it is not excluded that the Scots score a goal of their own!
Both teams to score? Yes
Continuing with the same line of thinking the previous part of our Spain vs Scotland tips, both teams ending up on the scoresheet looks very possible. Bet365 gives 2.20 odds on this happening.
We have already praised the Scots for their defence, but we shouldn’t overlook their attack either! In the five matches so far, Steve Clarke’s men have scored 12 times. Perhaps surprisingly, their best goalscorer in the qualifiers has been Scott McTominay with six strikes, and the Manchester United midfielder is coming after a brace in his most recent match at the club level.
As for Spain’s defence, it certainly isn’t as good as their midfield and attack. Even in their convincing win against Georgia, they allowed the home side to score. Scotland, be it following a counter-attack or a set piece, should be able to do the same. Thankfully, they know what it means to score against La Roja as they beat them 2-0 in the match in Glasgow back in March.
Both to score and Spain win
Finally, while we do expect Scotland to score at least once on the road, Spain should have the capacity to get the full three points on Thursday. Bet365 offers 3.25 odds on both teams scoring and Spain winning the game.
Spain need the win more here because of the threat posed by Norway and will look to have the ball under control and score from the get-go. That loss to Scotland in March was De la Fuente’s only second game in charge but the team looks much better now, and they even have a UEFA Nations League trophy to show for it.
Scotland, even if they lose, will still remain in first place for now and will have a good chance at qualifying for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024. The truly crucial games for Clarke’s men will be the encounters with Georgia and Norway in November.