Scotland host North Macedonia at Hampden on Friday in a Nations League clash that Sebastien Pocognoli will hope can inspire the Tartan Army again. After just one win in the opening four group games, the manager needs a convincing performance and result to kick things off.
The Record Sport team have made their predictions for the match, with the return of Scott McTominay and Che Adams boosting confidence.
Scott McDermott's Prediction
Scott McDermott believes Pocognoli badly needs a Hampden victory after two difficult nights against Switzerland and Slovenia in his first camp. He is boosted by the return of McTominay and Adams, while the rest of the squad should now be more used to his methods and system.
McDermott expects North Macedonia to be no better than they were in Skopje, where Scotland won, and predicts a home win.
Scotland 2 North Macedonia 0
Andy Newport's Prediction
Andy Newport notes the bumpy start for Pocognoli at Hampden but highlights the benefit of a fit McTominay and Adams, whose extra firepower will strengthen his hand. He says the Nations League games are not key, but building momentum before the Euro qualifiers is, so the new manager could do with his team clicking into gear.
Scotland 1 North Macedonia 0
Robbie Copeland's Prediction
Robbie Copeland points out that Scotland are back to almost full strength with McTominay available again, and it will be interesting to see how Pocognoli sets up with an improved array of attacking options. He admits the team flattered to deceive in the last international window but expects an improvement against a side they handled comfortably away in September.
Scotland 3 North Macedonia 0
Anthony Evans's Prediction
Anthony Evans says Pocognoli's team are far from the finished article but should have more than enough to beat the Macedonians for a second time. He notes the Lions were average at best when Scotland beat them 2-0 in Skopje and could win by a bigger margin this time. The return of McTominay is massive, but Adams has also netted twice for Torino since missing the last squad.
Scotland 4-1 North Macedonia
Ryan McDonald's Prediction
Ryan McDonald says the honeymoon period for Pocognoli is well and truly over. The boss has been boosted by the returns of McTominay and Adams, and there can be no excuses now if he fails to deliver a Hampden win at the third time of asking. He expects a similar outcome to the comfortable win in Skopje.
Scotland 2-0 North Macedonia
Mark Pirie's Prediction
Mark Pirie says Pocognoli has a lot of work to do to win over the Tartan Army, and a big result and scoreline could be required in front of the Hampden crowd. McTominay and Adams are back and set to earn their first caps under the Belgian, but it remains to be seen if the system finally clicks for the national team.
Scotland 3 North Macedonia 0
