Scotland captain Andy Robertson faces a personal challenge in the upcoming match against Brazil, aiming to breach the defense of his former Liverpool teammate, Alisson Becker, whom he considers the best goalkeeper in the world.
Scotland's offensive struggles have been a significant concern in their recent matches, with a limited number of shots on target. Against Haiti, the team managed just two shots on goal from nine attempts, scoring only a deflected goal. In their game against Morocco, they had six attempts, none of which troubled the goalkeeper.
Robertson acknowledged the formidable task ahead. "He's the best keeper in the world," Robertson stated. "I've been very lucky to play with Ali for the last eight years. In big moments, he was always there for us. Even when our defence was at its best, sometimes the other team would get through. But we could always rely on Ali to go and make the saves."
Despite his admiration for Alisson, Robertson expressed a clear desire for a different outcome on Wednesday. "I really hope he's picking the ball out of his net a couple of times on Wednesday - more than I'm used to! I can't speak highly enough of him as a player and as a man. But let's hope against us he doesn't keep a clean sheet." He emphasized the need for belief, adding, "We have to believe we can score against Brazil. If we don't, there's no point showing up. That's our aim. If we can do that hopefully it can be a big night for our country."
Scotland has a challenging historical record against Brazil, having not defeated them in 10 attempts since 1966, including four World Cup encounters. While a narrow loss might still see Scotland advance as one of the best third-placed teams, Robertson is focused on securing a positive result that would be historic for the nation.
"We're playing against a massive country, the most iconic in the World Cup, obviously most decorated," Robertson added. "But it also gives us an opportunity to achieve our dreams. We want to achieve history for our little country."
The Scotland squad is also navigating the risk of suspensions. With key players like Kenny McLean and Findlay Curtis, alongside Robertson himself, on disciplinary tightropes due to previous bookings, they must play with caution. However, Robertson remains focused on performance over potential consequences. "You have to play the game, that's part of football. You can't start worrying about suspensions or anything that goes along with that. There's a few of us on bookings and it will be the same through the whole tournament going into the last game. The players all have to be 100 percent and I certainly will be - whether I'm on a booking or not."