Vogts primes Scotland for toughest test

Scotland's manager, Berti Vogts, has called on his players to prove they have what it takes to compete on the international stage and back up his claims that that the run of defeats which characterised the early days of his reign were meaningless.

Tonight's friendly with Portugal here represents the Scots' sternest test since the German began the job in March with a fixture he had inherited in France. The then-world champions demolished Scotland 5-0 to begin a win-less run of games which was halted last month with back-to-back victories over Iceland and Canada. Those successes boosted confidence levels within the squad that had been dangerously low following the draw in the Faroe Islands in September.

Comparisons between the Paris game and tonight's test against the 11th-best team in the world were inevitable but Vogts was quick to dismiss the French defeat, and subsequent losses to Nigeria, South Korea and South Africa last season, as nothing but experimental exercises.

He said: "My first match was against the Danish side in August, not the match against France. And the tour to the Far East, that was not the Scottish national team. We played very badly against Denmark but after the second half in the Faroes I think the progress started. I am looking for a good result, good entertainment and a good performance from my team. I am very happy with the players and with the situation. The players are always doing so well in the training sessions."

Vogts' preparations for the game have included making the players watch video tapes of moments in the Canada game where the German felt his instructions were not being carried out to the letter.

West Ham's Christian Dailly had played in midfield in that game and, with the first choice central midfielder Barry Ferguson out injured, remains there. That allows Aberdeen's Russell Anderson to pick up his third cap and form a relationship in a three-man defence with Steven Pressley and Lee Wilkie in front of the goalkeeper, Robert Douglas. West Bromwich's Scott Dobie starts up front alongside Steve Crawford with Celtic's Paul Lambert captaining the side in central midfield.

It has rained almost non-stop since the squad arrived in Portugal on Sunday night, but Vogts said he had no worries about the state of the sodden pitch.

PORTUGAL (4-4-2, probable): Nelson (Sporting Lisbon); Jorge Ribeiro (Varzim), Ricardo Rocha (Benfica), Fernando Couto (Lazio), Fernando Meira (VfB Stuttgart); Rui Costa (Milan), Pedro Mendes (Vitoria Guimarães), Figo (Real Madrid), Simão (Benfica); Nuno Gomes (Benfica), Pauleta (Bordeaux).

SCOTLAND (3-5-2): Douglas (Celtic); Anderson (Aberdeen), Pressley (Hearts), Wilkie (Dundee); Alexander (Preston), Lambert (Celtic), Dailly (West Ham), Naysmith (Everton), Ross (Rangers); Crawford (Dunfermline), Dobie (West Bromwich).

Referee: V Anghelinei (Romania).