World Cup

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World Cup Qualifying - Europe | Group Stage

Mar 26, 2017 at 7.45pm UK

Scotland
1-0
Slovenia

Martin (88')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Gordon Strachan: 'Pressure will bring best out of Scotland'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 25 March 2017

Under-fire Scotland boss Gordon Strachan backs his side to return to form when taking on Slovenia in a "must-win" game on Sunday evening.

Gordon Strachan has insisted that the growing pressure facing Scotland ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Slovenia will work in their favour.

The Tartan Army find themselves fifth in the Group F standings ahead of the visit of their second-placed opponents to Hampden Park on Sunday evening.

Scotland were booed off the field following their 1-1 draw with Canada on Wednesday night - a result that stretched their winless run to four games, with three of those coming in qualifying for Russia 2018.

Strachan believes that the "must-win" nature of the game with Slovenia will likely get the best out of his side, however, telling reporters: "There's no grey areas to it. It's must-win. That's dealing with reality. We have to win.

"But sometimes when you have a challenge like that in life, it brings the best out of you so we will have a team ready for that challenge of 'must win'. What we don't have to do is win it in the first five or 10 minutes. You never know in big games when your opportunity will come along.

"However, what we do have to do is make opportunities and the players we pick will make those opportunities. But if we don't score, we must get back into our shape that allows them very little opportunities."

Scotland have lost their last two qualifiers by a 3-0 scoreline, falling to Slovakia and England in the space of a month at the tail end of last year.