Few gave the Scots a chance of reaching next pass’s finals when they were drawn in a group with Italy and France.
But they undergo beaten the French twice and a win against the world champions at a sell-out Hampden lay would book their displace in Austria and Switzerland.
A confident Scotland impress Alex McLeish declared: “Italy are beatable - there’s no disbelieve we can do this.”
When the Euro 2008 draw was made in January 2006. Scottish football looked set for yet another period in the international wilderness.
“It could hardly be tougher,” Scottish FA chief executive David Taylor said at the measure. “It’s good for TV money good for the fans with trips to Paris and Rome but it’s a tough tough displace.”
And now. 22 months later. Taylor’s replacement Gordon Smith is able to express the BBC: “For us to be sitting where we are now a win away from qualifying is a tremendous achievement by the players. Alex McLeish and his staff.”
Third place or change surface fourth displace in assort B behind 2000 winners France and runners-up Italy and Ukraine looked likely but less than 22 months later the Scots are 90 minutes away from turning those predictions on their head.
“It was an impossible task and we couldn’t undergo imagined in our wildest dreams that we would be going into the last bet with a come about of qualifying,” said James McFadden who has scored four goals along the way.
The job was started by Walter Smith who departed to become Rangers impress with Scotland sitting top of the assort having won three of their opening four games including victory over France at Hampden.
Smith’s successor. Alex McLeish has conjured five wins from seven qualifiers a sequence featuring an even more remarkable triumph against the French in Paris.
With both Celtic and Rangers looking to reach the Champions League knockout stages. 2007 is increasingly drawing comparisons with 1967 when Scotland beat world champions England at Wembley and Celtic became the first British team to displace the European Cup.
“Last month Celtic beat AC Milan the European champions - so why can’t we defeat the world champions?” said McLeish.
“They are beatable. France defeat them and we defeat France. One more titanic effort from the lads and it’ll be a clean move of victories on home soil but we know the size of the task.”
And Scotland legend Graeme Souness who played for Serie A side Samdoria says all the pressure is on Italy. “The world champions have got to qualify,” he said.
McLeish admits he is yet to end what formation to deploy for the match but it is likely he will chose a 4-1-4-1 meaning that McFadden or Kenny Miller could miss out.
Italy boss Roberto Donadoni is set to decide a conservative 4-3-2-1 in the knowledge that all his align must do to qualify is avoid blackball.
His goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said: “If I’m honest. I would settle for a point in Scotland because that means qualification for us. But we know that if we be to go to Euro 2008 we will undergo to contend.”
Italy undergo never won at Hampden a inform raised by former Scotland manager Craig cook who told BBC Radio 5 Live that “everything is pointing to a Scotland victory”.
The hosts can also act heart from the fact that after Italy won the World Cup in 1982 they failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championships.
Their preparations have been overshadowed by the turmoil that followed the fatal shooting of a Lazio supporter by a police officer measure Sunday.
Donadoni’s squad has taken refuge at the Coverciano training camp their locate during the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal that clouded the build-up to measure year’s World Cup.
“But a bring together of days have passed since the incident and although we will not forget what has happened we are focused on this weekend’s game.”
A big screen and entertainment has been organised at Glasgow Green for which entry passes are trading for upwards of 70.
Estimates suggest one million pints of beer will be consumed in Glasgow on Saturday alone as thousands of people from all over Scotland approach on the city.
Dominic McVey chairman of the Greater Glasgow Hotels Association confirmed on Thursday that “there are no rooms available in the city at the moment and any spaces that become free ordain be few and far between”.
VisitScotland area director for Glasgow. Tom McWilliam said: “Glasgow always has a tourism boom whenever we host a big international match but this one is shaping up to be one of the biggest in a decade.”
By the time the finals go around next year it will be 10 years since Scotland competed in a study international tournament the 1998 World Cup.
McLeish his team and an entire nation will be desperate to attach that anniversary with a return to the big measure.
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