Scotland face Curacao at Hampden in a World Cup send-off clash, with the nation preparing for its first tournament appearance in almost 30 years.
Steve Clarke’s side are building towards a historic summer, but must first navigate a tricky farewell fixture against the Caribbean island nation.
Curacao, home to just 160,000 residents, arrive under the management of a familiar face in Scottish football, with ex-Rangers boss Dick Advocaat leading the side.
The 78-year-old Dutchman knows Hampden well, having picked up a couple of Scottish Cups during his time at Ibrox, and heads there with a point to prove.
Advocaat previously managed the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup in the USA and at the tournament in Germany 20 years later, making this a milestone addition to his glittering CV.
Opposite number Clarke is preparing for his first World Cup as Scotland manager, and the Tartan Army are expected to pack out the National Stadium for the occasion.
Record Sport writers are largely backing Scotland to win, though opinions differ on the margin of victory and how fluid the performance will be.
Scott McDermott predicts a comfortable home win, writing that “Steve Clarke’s side should still have too much for Curacao at Hampden” with players like Lawrence Shankland, Ben Gannon-Doak and Findlay Curtis set to feature, forecasting a 3-1 result.
Several writers, including Craig Swan, Mark Pirie, Andy Newport and Michael Gannon, all predict a 2-0 Scotland victory, pointing to a morale-boosting performance before the squad departs for America.
Fraser Wilson sees John McGinn and Che Adams on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win, while Graeme Young is the most cautious, predicting a 2-2 draw and noting that “we remain specialists at coming up short in friendly fixtures, especially on home turf.”
Gavin Berry offers the tightest scoreline of the group, backing a narrow 1-0 Scotland win, warning that Curacao are “well drilled” under Advocaat and “short on squad depth” but experienced in key areas.
Berry highlighted the Bacuna brothers, ex-Ibrox man Juninho and captain Leandro as players to watch in the middle of the park for the visitors.
He pointed to Curacao’s battling goalless draw against Jamaica to secure historic World Cup qualification as evidence of the stubborn performances they are capable of producing.
Hampden is expected to be in a party atmosphere, but some writers caution that heavy rotation in personnel and formation could disrupt Scotland’s rhythm throughout the afternoon.
The consensus among the Record Sport panel is that Scotland will get the job done, though the Tartan Army may need to be patient before the goals arrive.
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