Skip to content

Belgium v Scotland

Image: Will Scotland be able to get the better of Belgium in Brussels on Tuesday?

Sky Sports checks out how Scotland have fared in their past five away games against Belgium.

Tuesday's World Cup Group A qualifier in Brussels sees Group A leaders Belgium host Scotland. Here, Sky Sports looks at the past five competitive encounters between the sides in Belgium, all of which the visitors have lost.

September 5, 2001: Belgium 2 Scotland 0 (World Cup qualifier)

Scotland's 2002 World Cup hopes were dashed in the space of four days when a 2-0 defeat in Belgium followed a goalless draw against Croatia at Hampden. Around 12,000 Scotland supporters travelled to the King Baudouin Stadium to see an experienced side who had arrived unbeaten in nine away matches. However, Nico van Kerckhoven gave Belgium the lead in the 28th minute and Scotland struggled to respond. Craig Brown used all three substitutes after the break in a bid to recover the situation but Bart Goor scored in injury time to seal the Belgian victory.

April 1, 1987: Belgium 4 Scotland 1 (European qualifier)

There was no joking after this April Fools' Day defeat for Scotland which came courtesy of a Nico Claesen hat-trick. The Scots had four players from Dundee United and three from Aberdeen in the starting XI and it had looked encouraging enough at the interval after Celtic midfielder Paul McStay's header had cancelled out the Tottenham striker's early effort. However, Andy Roxburgh's side came unstuck after the break. The clinical Claesen scored either side of Frank Vercauteren's goal to send the Scots packing with their qualification hopes all but ended.

December 15, 1982: Belgium 3 Scotland 2 (European qualifier)

Scotland's defeat in the Heysel Stadium is probably best remembered for Kenny Dalglish's spectacular solo second goal which gave the visitors the lead for the second time in the first half. In an entertaining encounter, his fine first strike came when he linked up with Steve Archibald in a speedy break but that was cancelled out by Erwin Vandenbergh. The Belgians fought back again after Dalglish's moment of magic and Franky van der Elst helped himself to a double to take the points.

November 21, 1979: Belgium 2 Scotland 0 (European qualifier)

Jock Stein's side included stars such as Alan Hansen, Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Joe Jordan but they got off to the worst possible start when striker Van der Elst gave Belgium the lead with only six minutes played. The Scots were similarly slow off the mark at the start of the second half and midfielder Eddy Voordeckers grabbed the second in the 47th minute. Guy Thys' talented side went on to lose the final to West Germany the following year.

February 3, 1971: Belgium 3 Scotland 0 (European qualifier)

Archie Gemmill made his debut for Scotland in this qualifier at the Stade Sclessin in Liege but it ended in some disappointment for Bobby Brown's men. An own goal by luckless Rangers defender Ronnie McKinnon gave the home side the interval lead. On a quagmire of a pitch, Belgian skipper Paul van Himst shone brightly and he doubled the home side's lead 10 minutes into the second half with a curling free-kick before grabbing his second with a late penalty.

Around Sky