Stark looking for ideal preparation

Coach Billy Stark will use the match as preparation for his team’s final two European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches in September against Luxembourg and Austria. The Scots are still in the running for a play-off spot for Israel 2013 following their 2-2 draw in Bulgaria last week.

Belgium, currently third in Group Eight, defeated England 2-1 in November last year and Stark believes they will provide his side with stiff opposition.

He said: “This match will be a big test for us because Belgium have some top quality players. You only have to take a look at their senior squad to see the kind of players they have been producing of late.

“We played them in a friendly away from home last year and lost 1-0 that night, but had some good chances to win the match and I think a draw would have been a fair result. It was a great exercise for us because we were still forming our squad in that match, but this one is a bit different because we are now preparing for our final qualifying matches.

“We are second in our group going into our last two games and this match will allow us to get everyone together and work towards giving the campaign one final push.”

Scotland almost earned all three points in Bulgaria when Jordan Rhodes bagged his eighth goal of the campaign with just minutes remaining, but a last-gasp equaliser in the third minute of added time denied Stark’s men the win.

That result, coupled with the Netherlands’ 5-0 win over Bulgaria on Tuesday night, means Scotland will probably need two wins from their remaining two matches to have a realistic chance of clinching a play-off place.

Stark said: “I always ask the players to play with a confidence in every game and they certainly did that against Bulgaria and in all of our previous games in this campaign. If we can beat Luxembourg then we will have a good idea of what will be required going into our final game away to Austria.”