Haiti vs Scotland Predictions

• Scotland have scored four goals in each of their last two friendlies.
• Haiti are ranked 40 places below the Tartan Army.
• Scott McTominay has scored 14 goals in his last 33 Scotland appearances.

Tartan Army target crucial result

Scotland take to the World Cup pitch for the first time since 1998 on Sunday, and their chances of qualifying for a maiden knockout-stage appearance may rest on beating Haiti in their opener.

The Group C underdogs’ first and only previous World Cup appearance came back in 1974, when they lost all three group games in Germany and conceded 14 goals in the process.

A defeat against Peru in their final warm-up friendly on Saturday does not bode well for Les Grenadiers, while the Tartan Army have buoyed their confidence with some excellent friendly displays.

They have thrashed Curacao and Bolivia in the past couple of weeks, scoring four goals in each of those victories and improving morale after March losses to Ivory Coast and Japan.

With Morocco and Brazil to come, victory at the Gillette Stadium is crucial to their prospects, and they should get the three points against a side ranked 40 places below them.

McTominay backed to make the difference

Another goalfest is unlikely, though, with Haiti expected to close ranks as they look for their first-ever World Cup point.

Scotland will also be cautious and, given that Haiti have failed to score in defeats to Tunisia and Honduras since October, backing a 2-0 scoreline is appealing.

Scott McTominay looks a likely anytime goalscorer in Foxborough, too. He scored his 15th international goal against Bolivia last time out and 14 of those have been scored in his last 33 appearances. The versatile Napoli player has scored in four of his last eight appearances for club and country and is always a big threat for Steve Clarke’s side.