Aston Villa’s John McGinn Helps Scotland to Victory Over Ukraine

Scotland defeated Ukraine in the Nations League 3-0 thanks to a great goal from Aston Villa’s John McGinn and two from Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes.

McGinn got them on their way with a great strike in the 70th minute into the bottom corner. Dykes headed in from two corners from fellow substitute Ryan Fraser to seal the victory.

It was a deserved victory for Steve Clarke’s side who although they had slightly less possession with 47% had 23 goal attempts compared to their opposition’s three. The match was a bit of revenge for the Scots who were knocked out of the World Cup playoffs by Ukraine back in June.

The result means Scotland leapfrog Ukraine to the top of League B Group 1 with 9 points. They still have two more games to play in the competition this International break against Ireland on Saturday and then against their opponents tonight again the following Tuesday in Krakow, Poland.

John McGinn’s Reaction

Speaking to ITV Sport after the game McGinn said:

"We created a lot of chances and missed them which was the story of our summer but tonight we were patient. We kept making the chances and thankfully we took them in the end.When asked about his play being similar to Kenny Dalglish’s use of the body, McGinn joked, “The use of the backside maybe! I’m miles away from what Kenny Dalglish was as a player so if he was watching I’ve learned a wee bit of him but I’m not quite anywhere near him.What we had been missing in the Summer was what we showed at Wembley (in Euro 2020), what we showed here against Denmark. Grit, determination and desire. All the characteristics of a Scottish team which we kind of got away from.So it was important that we had a wee reset. The manager made it clear, we had clips to back it up and it was not good enough. So we were playing with a point to prove tonight, we had important players missing, Robbo (Andy Robertson) and big Grant (Hanley) to name just a couple and we adapted well. We changed formation and it was natural for us."

Will This Spark McGinn Back Into Form in the Premier League

McGinn has endured a tough season so far with Aston Villa. He is yet to score or assist in the league and his side currently lurks in 15th place in the division.

Scoring such a great goal will be a major confidence boost for the player. His club manager Steven Gerrard will hope he can bring this form with his country back to Villa Park with him.

McGinn has been given the captain’s armband at Aston Villa this season, which some people think has contributed to his dip in form. However, he showed great responsibility as captain of Scotland tonight.

Aston Villa’s recent results have been more promising with a draw against Manchester City and a win over Southampton in their last two games. They are up against Leeds United when the Premier League returns.