Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor has called for a balance of aggression and calm heads in the UEFA Nations League decider.
The Scots will tonight face Ukraine in the final Group B1 fixture.
Should Scotland avoid defeat in neutral Krakow, Poland, they will win the group.
That will secure automatic promotion to the elite A League and the chance to mix it with Europe’s big guns.
Scotland currently top group B1, two points ahead of second-placed Ukraine.
Winning the group would also elevate Scotland into pot two for the Euro 2024 qualification draw in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 9.
Another benefit is a guaranteed Euro 2024 play-off spot should Scotland fail to qualify for the tournament via the traditional route.
McGregor accepts the enormity of the match – and the rewards the right result brings.
And he insists the Scots must use all their experience to get the right mental balance.
He said: “We have to go to Poland and continue with the intent we have had in the last two games.
“We have to be aggressive, but also keep calm heads on Tuesday night and use all the experience we have.
“There are a lot of experienced boys in the squad and we have to galvanise the group.
“We know what we need to do to win the group and we will be going there to win the game.
“We need to be aggressive and do all the good things we have done so far in this camp.
“It’s about making sure we go in there with a positive mindset.”
Rising to League A always a target
Should Scotland finish the job against Ukraine, it will propel them into the Euro elite of League A.
When the Nations League was first unveiled by UEFA, the Scots, then managed by Gothenburg Great Alex McLeish, were in League C.
They won promotion at the first time of asking.
Now they can secure a second promotion in three Nations League campaigns.
Celtic captain McGregor insists climbing to the top-level League A was always the long-term target.
He said: “That’s where we want to be.
“That was the goal for us when the Nations League started and we were in pot C.
“We wanted to get up the pots and play against better teams and that would ultimately develop the team and make players better.
“We understand the repercussions of the group and this game on Tuesday night.
“It’s a big game for us and we have to go and do everything we can to perform.”
The need to eradicate emotion
Scotland suffered a damaging summer when losing to Ukraine 3-0 in the World Cup play-off semi-final in June.
Just days later, they crashed to a 3-0 loss to Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
It was a sobering period which saw Scotland’s progress stutter.
McGregor said the Scots had a “few scores to settle” in this ongoing international camp.
They have done that with back-to-back wins against Ukraine and the Irish.
Now they are out to finish the job tonight – and McGregor insists it is vital they eliminate emotion from the occasion.
He said: “There have been a lot of undertones from the week in June.
“Because of what happened in the summer, we wanted to settle a few scores.
“There is an element of that as well, but we have to try and take the emotion out of the game and out of the situation as well.
“We understand we have got ourselves in a brilliant position now to top the group.
“Now it’s just about going to try and finish that job.
“We will try and take the emotion away from it, do everything right and try and top the group.”
‘Take out the element of surprise’
The Group B1 clash will be played at a neutral venue due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Regardless of the game being played at the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Stadium in Krakow, McGregor is anticipating a raucous Ukraine support.
He said: “We have to expect that the crowd will be behind them and they will be feeling good about themselves because they are at home.
“We have to try and take that element of surprise out of their game and focus on executing our gameplan.
“There’s always an element when you go away from home that the game will be different.
“But we just have to stay calm and find our way in the game early.
“If they try something different, we have to try and figure that out early doors.
‘We will need to get to grips with the game, because it will be different to the one here last week. We just need to find a solution.”
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