Shaun Maloney says a Scotland win against Germany would be their best result …

Scotland face World Champions Germany in Euro 2016 qualifier
Scotland haven’t qualified for a major tournament since 1998
Maloney believes Gordon Strachan’s side can shock Germans

Brian Marjoribanks

Published:
17:49 EST, 5 September 2014

|
Updated:
17:49 EST, 5 September 2014

View
comments

Shaun Maloney believes Scotland can shock World Cup winners Germany in Dortmund on Sunday night and secure the country’s greatest result in a generation.

The recent history of the national team has featured fine home and away wins over France under Walter Smith and then Alex McLeish in the Euro 2008 qualification stage.

Under Berti Vogts, a Euro 2004 play-off victory over Holland was achieved at Hampden in 2003, before a crushing 6-0 reverse in Amsterdam.

Challenge: A win against Germany would be Scotland’s biggest in over a decade in Maloney’s eyes

Champions: Germany were comfortably the best side in Brazil where they won the World Cup this summer

Darren Fletcher will be crucial to Scotland’s chances of toppling world champions Germany, insists…

Germany’s Marco Reus is wary of Scotland’s threat, as the two teams prepare to meet in their opening…

10 things to watch this weekend: Raheem Sterling on centre stage for England, Scotland facing world…

Gordon Strachan has already decided which goalkeeper will start for Scotland against Germany

Lukas Podolski insists Scotland will ‘play a dirty game’ ahead of Euro 2016 qualifier with Germany

John Guidetti loan move from Manchester City to Celtic approved by FIFA allowing Swedish striker to…

Scotland will not park the bus against world champions Germany, insists Russell Martin

Paul Gascoigne pictures were shocking …. we’re all praying for him, we have to save Gazza,…

Given Germany are fresh from winning the World Cup in Brazil in such scintillating fashion, however, Maloney believes that for Scotland to return with three points from their opening Euro 2016 qualifier would arguably represent the nation’s finest result since beating England 1-0 at Wembley in 1999 in a Euro 2000 play-off second leg.

The Wigan winger said: ‘It would be as big a result as this group has had. It may be similar to when we beat France and they were flying at the time (losing the 2006 World Cup Final on penalties to Italy). I also remember that play-off game against Holland in 2003 — that was a huge result at the time, too.

‘But being away from home against the World Champions makes it even harder for us.

‘So I think, if it happens, it would be as big a result as the team has managed in the last 15 years.’

Decisive: Mario Gotze scores the winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina

Improving: Scotland’s form under Gordon Strachan has been a significant improvement on recent years

Euro 2016 sees the tournament enlarged from 16 to 24 teams, thanks to a proposal spearheaded by the late former SFA chief executive David Taylor.

The new-look qualifying process sees the nine group winners, nine runners-up and the best-finishing third team qualify automatically alongside hosts France. The remaining third-placed teams play-off for the four remaining slots at the tournament.

And Maloney feels when you factor in that plus the national team’s form under Gordon Strachan over the past 12 months, Scotland have never had a better chance to reach a major finals and end their exile since last appearing at the France ’98 World Cup.

‘Is this our best chance yet? Yes,’ he said. ‘I think coming into the qualifying matches our form is as good as we could have hoped for, really. There were moments under Walter Smith and Alex McLeish when we came very close to qualification.

‘Big result’: A win against the World Champions would eclipse anything Scotland have achieved recently

Right time: With an expanded tournament Scotland know it’s now or never for major tournament qualification

‘That was an opportunity missed. But the form we are in now, considering where we were before, is very good.

‘Losing to Wales at home (in the World Cup qualifiers in March 2013) in terms of how we got beaten was a real low point.

‘But the way we’ve come on since then and across the whole last 12 months in particular, we couldn’t really ask for much more (ahead of the new campaign).’