Israel v Scotland tips: McLeish’s men can expose woeful home record
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Scotland should have plenty of optimism heading into tonight’s UEFA Nations League game with Israel in Haifa.
Not only did the Scots win their group opener against Albania, they now face a side who have lost eight of their last 11 at home.
Match Odds
It’s hard to overstate how bad Israel are at home. Their only wins on home soil since the end of 2014 have come against Andorra and Liechtenstein.
They head into this game off the back of four home defeats – a run in which they’ve netted just once. As for head-to-heads, Scotland have won both prior meetings.
It’s 6/4 for another Scotland win, with 2/1 for both the Draw and an Israel victory.
Nine of the Scots’ last 10 victories have come with clean sheets, and it’s 11/4 for Alex McLeish’s men to Win to Nil. Meanwhile, a 2-0 Scotland triumph is a 10/1 shot.
Talking Tactics
The visitors’ two victories under McLeish so far have each come when they’ve gone 3-5-2. John Souttar and Kieran Tierney help them build from the back, while they’ve got plenty of pace in midfield too.
Leigh Griffiths’ 11th-hour departure from the squad to focus on his fitness could shake up McLeish’s plans a touch. Johnny Russell is likely to start up top with Steven Naismith.
Israel played a 5-3-2 in their first group stage, and will probably do the same here. Former Celtic man Beram Kayal and Red Bull Salzburg striker Munas Dabbur are amongst their key players.
Goalscorer Odds
Naismith is enjoying a new lease of life right now. The 32-year-old has banged in nine goals in 12 games for Heart of Midlothian, netting multiple goals in two of those. He also found the net against Albania in Scotland’s last game.
The experienced hitman is available at 11/5 to Score Anytime, while it’s 11/1 he nets Two or More Goals.
Midfielder James Forrest will also be heading into this game on a high, having netted four times in Celtic’s 6-0 mauling of St Johnstone on Sunday. He’s 4/1 Anytime.
Israel’s best chance of a goal lies with Dabbur. Following six goals in his previous five outings for Salzburg, he’s 23/10 to make the net bulge again in Haifa.
Match Info
When: 7:45pm
Where: Sammy Ofer Stadium, Israel
How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event
Click here for the latest Israel v Scotland odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
