The qualifying points that Gordon Strachan’s side urgently need are unlikely to be gained against the resurgent world champions
It is unrealistic to expect the same Scotland side that suffered a laboured defeat in Georgia three days ago to produce a performance capable of troubling Germany on Monday.
Especially as the world champions returned to something resembling their best form in Friday’s 3-1 win over Poland – a result which took them two points clear at the top of Group D.
The slight hangover that engulfed Joachim Low’s side in the aftermath of reaching the pinnacle of the sport in Brazil last year – they won five matches from their next 10 fixtures – appears to be clearing.
Germany has never suffered a competitive loss against Scotland, while their last two qualifiers away from home have yielded two victories, nine goals and none conceded.
Their attacking threat is unrivalled to any team in Europe and – aside from Argentina – the world.
What is also perhaps overlooked is how a collective of so many world-class individuals are able to so readily reproduce their club form at international level.
There a few footballers in the game more complete than Thomas Muller.
The 25-year-old has scored six times in his country’s last seven qualifiers – including a brace in Germany’s 2-1 win over Scotland last September.
Muller also struck the opener in Friday’s win over Poland in Munich and is 7/2 to repeat the feat at Hampden Park.
The Bayern Munich forward’s club colleague Mario Gotze, meanwhile, appears to be more comfortable playing for Germany, having struggled for domestic first-team football in the last two seasons.
The 23-year-old famously fired home the extra-time winner against Argentina to seal their fourth world title and has remained an integral member of Low’s squad.
And having and grabbed another two goals in Friday’s triumph, Gotze is 11/2 to do so again.
The former Borussia Dortmund player is also 7/1 to score first in a Germany win.
Scotland are a point behind third-placed Republic of Ireland in the play-off places with just three games to go and, realistically, need at least a point from the game if they are to remain in contention to qualify for Euro 2016.
There are – in theory – reasons for manager Gordon Strachan to be optimistic.
His side have won their last four competitive home games – March’s 6-1 thrashing of Gibraltar being the most recent – and are 13/2 to make it five with a famous win in front of a 50,000-strong Tartan Army.
Scotland’s 1-0 defeat in Tbilisi was the first time in 13 matches they failed to score and, while Germany are hardly weak defensively, their high line and commitment to passing out from the back is one of the few areas that could be exploited.
The hosts are 11/5 to notch what would be a consolation goal in a Germany win.
That is probably the best Scotland can hope for.
The partisan support, home comforts and a sense of occasion should ensure a better display than Friday’s one against Georgia.
But that can only take a team so far.
A German side free of its post-World Cup haze are likely to be just too good.
