Pedro Martinez Losa plays down significance of Scotland’s eight-game winless run

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa played down the significance of his side’s eight-game run without a competitive victory ahead of Tuesday’s Euro 2025 qualifier at home to Slovakia.

The Scots have failed to win such a match since defeating Austria in a World Cup play-off semi-final in October 2022. Over the past 18 months, they have been unable to get the better of the Republic of Ireland, Belgium (twice), England (twice), the Netherlands (twice) and Serbia.

However, Martinez Losa was keen to point out that the majority of Scotland’s fixtures during that period had been friendlies and they won seven out of 10 of those.

“For me, there is no competitive or non-competitive,” he said. “I am paid the same money for competitive or non-competitive.

“Competitive or non-competitive is down to the calendar. We have not played more competitive games because the calendar only offered us the chance to play six competitive games in the last two years (six in 2023 and five in 2022).

“But we prepare for the games the same (whether they are competitive or non-competitive), the players have the same pride to represent their country. I think we play every game as a competition.

“There’s no conversation about any record, I think it is totally irrelevant for the game tomorrow. I don’t have to address the games we have played before. I have to make sure tomorrow we compete at the level we want to compete.”

Tuesday’s match represents the first time since the World Cup play-off final against Ireland that Scotland have entered a competitive fixture against a side ranked beneath them, and Martinez Losa admitted supporters were entitled to be optimistic of a victory after a spirited goalless draw with Serbia in Friday’s opening Euro 2025 qualifier.

“Every time we face a team that we are ahead of in the FIFA ranking, we feel we have the opportunity to win,” he said.

“Not just the teams that are below us, we prepare to win every game. We played against Slovakia a couple of years ago and won the game but Slovakia did a lot of good things so we have to be prepared for that.”

Martinez Losa paid tribute to captain Rachel Corsie as the 34-year-old Aston Villa defender prepared to win her 150th cap against Slovakia.

“To achieve one cap is unbelievable in high-level sport,” he said. “In the last games we have had some players reaching 50 and 60, so to have Rachel arriving at 150 is an achievement from a special character and a special player.

“We are very proud to have her on board and hopefully we can win the game so she can have a good experience on the pitch.”