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Belgium national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Jun 11, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Scotland national football team

3-0

Lukaku (45', 57'), De Bruyne (92')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Belgium's quality is not lost on McGregor

Belgium's quality is not lost on McGregor
© Reuters
Midfielder knows Scotland face a tough test in Brussels on Tuesday.

Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor saluted the quality of Belgium ahead of their Euro 2020 qualifier in Brussels on Tuesday night.

Steve Clarke began his tenure as national team boss with a nervy 2-1 qualifying win over Cyprus at Hampden Park on Saturday night, with substitute Oliver Burke providing a late winner after captain Andy Robertson's opener was cancelled out by Ioannis Kousoulos.

However, McGregor and company face an obvious step up in quality against the team ranked number one in the world and who have won all three Group I fixtures so far.

The midfielder has played against top club sides like Barcelona, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich with Celtic – suffering the occasional big loss – and was part of the Scotland side which lost 4-0 to the Red Devils in a Hampden friendly last year and with that experience, he summed up Belgium.

"I think they are the best combination of players," McGregor told Press Association Sport.

"They are number one in the world, that tells you everything about them.

Kazakhstan v Scotland – UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying – Group I – Astana Arena
Callum McGregor knows Scotland will need to be at their best in Brussels (Adam Davy/PA)

"Individually their quality is very good. We played them not too long ago here and we know how difficult that was.

"It is just a case of trying to prepare well, rest up, recover and hopefully on Tuesday night we will be well set up to try to deal with it.

"We know it is going to be a tough task. If we could nick aΒ  point it would be a great result."

Scotland v Cyprus – UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying – Group I – Hampden Park
Oliver Burke was Scotland's late hero against Cyprus (Jeff Holmes/PA)

McGregor admits that Burke's late winner was a much-needed boost ahead of the second fixture of their June double-header at the King Baudouin Stadium.

"It was massive," he said. "With the change of manager, we knew we were under pressure to win.

"It gives everyone that belief that what we have been doing on the training pitch is right.

"When you get that lift of getting the win and everyone going to the end to get the Β three points then it gives you that confidence to kick on."

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John McGinn pictured for Scotland in June 2019
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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