- Portugal visit Hampden on Tuesday for Nations League Group A clash
- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner the last time the sides met
- Steve Clarke’s men looking to bounce back from weekend defeat in Zagreb
Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes insists the squad will show their strength of character as they seek to stop the rot against Portugal at Hampden tomorrow night.
A 2-1 loss to Croatia in Zagreb on Saturday night consigned Scotland to a third successive defeat at the start of the Nations League campaign.
Steve Clarke’s side have failed to win a competitive fixture in over a year and are now on their worst run of results in a generation.
They have won just once in their last 15 matches, with that sole triumph coming against minnows Gibraltar in June.
It looked like they had snatched a point against Croatia, only for Che Adams’ late equaliser to be ruled out by VAR for offside.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co will look to inflict further pain, but Dykes feels it’s only a matter of time until Scotland turn things around — and he is confident they have the mental strength to come through this slump.
Lyndon Dykes put in a hard-working shift up front for Scotland against Croatia on Saturday
Ryan Christie had put the Scots in front before the hosts fought back to secure a 2-1 victory
Steve Clarke’s side were left to rue another opportunity missed to get off the mark in Group A
‘We’ve had such a good run for a long time (qualifying for the Euros),’ he said. ‘It was never just going to be easy for us. But this is when it shows the character of the boys.
‘It shows each person that we have in this squad. We have a lot of new faces but this is the time when it shows what characters we have in the team.
‘We’ve got massive characters in there, so I’m sure it will turn around. I believe in and trust all my team-mates, coaching staff, everyone.
‘It’s only a matter of time that we can turn it around. Luckily enough, we’ve got a game coming up, which obviously isn’t going to be easy. But we’ve done it before and we can do it again.’
Despite injuries and the absence of several key players, Clarke’s men competed well against Croatia. Ryan Christie put them 1-0 up in the first half, before Igor Matanovic pulled the hosts level with a tidy finish.
Andrej Kramaric headed the winner with 20 minutes to go, but Scotland were left cursing their luck with Adams’ disallowed leveller. Dykes insists the squad won’t feel sorry for themselves and believes they could yet spring a shock against Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted a last-gasp winner when the sides met in Lisbon last month
‘It just doesn’t seem to be going our way at the moment,’ he said. ‘We had a good performance, but we came out with no points. But there are positives in there, and that’s what happens when you’re in the top groups against these teams.
‘There’s little things that maybe you need on your side that you don’t get. It’s just going to be tough for you.
‘I’m super proud of the boys. We looked good against Croatia. We looked dangerous. But, at the moment, it just doesn’t go for you. That’s football. It can be harsh sometimes.
‘We’ve done so well to get into this top seeding. We’re playing top teams every camp now. Everyone on the pitch has to be on it, plus the whole squad.
‘We know it’ll be tough against Portugal. But we still believe. It’ll be tough but we’ve done it before and we can do it again.’