Belgium hold a 10-4 advantage over Scotland in the 17 games in which the sides have been in opposition.

The Red Devils won 2-0 on their last visit to Hampden five years ago, goals coming from Steven Defour and Kevin Mirallas.

That World Cup qualifier was the third time in a row they had overcome the Scots by that scoreline since a 2-2 draw in Glasgow back in 2001.

Strangely, their last two 2-0 wins over Scotland have come on 5 then 6 September. A repeat on the 7th?

The Tartan Army have to go back to 1988 to remember a win over the Belgians, when goals from Ally McCoist and Paul McStay secured a 2-0 success at Hampden in a European Championship qualifier.

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There is a spy in the Belgium camp, but unfortunately for the Scots, Shaun Maloney will be advising Roberto Martinez.

The 35-year-old former Scotland midfielder has been appointed to the backroom staff by the man he played under at Wigan Athletic, combining his duties with his youth-team role at Celtic Park.

Maloney was in the Scotland team the last time Belgium visited Hampden and went away with a 2-0 win.

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Belgium coach Roberto Martinez expects Scotland to provide the right type of preparation required for the Red Devils' Nations League opener against Iceland.

"Scotland are a young group," he said. It is a new project. Alex McLeish has a lot of experience at international level after working for Scotland before.

"He is building a new team. I think it is going to be competitive, it is going to be a dynamic game.

"They have the players that can really turn defence into attack very quickly, but I don't see that as a problem.

"If anything, it is really good preparation for what we are going to get in Iceland."

Stephen: "No complaints whatsoever."

Ross: "Where's Shinnie?"

Alex McLeish hopes his Scotland side can follow Russia's example by putting disappointing friendly results behind them when competitive action begins.

Hosts Russia reached the quarter-finals despite their pre-tournament defeats.

"The Russians had taken on seven pretty tough games before hosting the finals and never won a game, but look at the reaction they got," McLeish said.

"The coach had to take a lot of flak in these previous games, but the team had gelled and he got fantastic results.

"For us to get better, we have to play the better teams and the big example of that is if you look at the World Cup."

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Some might suggest that Scotland could have picked an easier game tonight ahead of their Nations League opener on Monday.

Indeed, former Scotland defender Willie Miller is suggesting on BBC Radio Scotland that, ideally, it would have been a team similar in style to their next opponents.

However, Scotland were contractually obliged by Nations League rules to play a friendly tonight and apparently the possible opponents were limited.

Belgium have won eight of their last nine games, their only defeat coming in that World Cup semi-final against a France side who subsequently knocked Roberto Martinez's team down to second in the Fifa rankings.

Outside of tournament football, they are unbeaten in their last 17 outings.

Scotland currently sit 40th in the world rankings and have lost four of their five games - the last four under new head coach Alex McLeish - since their World Cup qualifying campaign ended with a 2-2 draw against Slovenia.

They have only found the net once since that match in Ljubljana and that was the only goal in a victory in Hungary courtesy of Matt Phillips, who misses out tonight through injury.

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Dedryck Boyata was a target for Fulham this summer and he was not too happy with Celtic when the bid was turned down, but the 27-year-old has put that behind him and earns his 11th cap tonight.

Belgium captain Jan Vertonghen, who has 108 of his own, said of his fellow defender: "He's a great defender, very smart guy as well.

"He had a great World Cup. He played because of a couple of injuries.

"He showed Belgium and the world how good of a defender he is. He was immense for us in the World Cup."

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As expected, Chelsea's Eden Hazard starts for Belgium despite missing training on Wednesday.

Brother Thorgan Hazard, of Borussia Monchengladbach, is in midfield, while Atalanta's Timothy Castagne makes his debut at left wing-back.

Celtic's Dedryck Boyata partners Manchester City's Vincent Kompany in central defence.

Roberto Martinez has made five changes from the side that ended their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over England to secure third place in Russia.

Jan Vertonghen also comes into defence in place of Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Toby Alderweireld, while Mousa Dembele and Dries Mertens are in midfield.

Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel and Nacer Chadli drop out along with the injured Kevin de Bruyne.

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Scotland go into this game with a new captain after the armband was passed around in recent games following Celtic midfileder Scott Brown's decision to retire from international football following the failure to reach this summer's World Cup finals.

It is perhaps appropriate that the honour goes to Andy Robertson considering he is playing at a higher level than anyone else in the squad after establishing himself as Liverpool's first-choice left-back.

A Champions League runner-up last season, he nevertheless stated this week that leading Scotland to their first major finals since 1998 would eclipse all his other achievements.

Explaining his choice, head coach Alex McLeish said the 24-year-old's rise from Queen's Park amateurs to Anfield "is absolutely inspirational" and that "the players look up to him".

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Tonight's game is all about preparing for next week's Nations League openers for both sides.

Belgium, who are in lofty Group 2 of the League A top teams in Europe, visit Iceland on Tuesday, with Switzerland the other side in their section.

Scotland are down in League C but are top seeds in Group 1 ahead of Albania, who are visitors to Hampden on Monday, and Israel.

They are not the most glamorous of opponents, but assistant James McFadden points out - win the section and Alex McLeish's side are two wins away from qualifying for the Euro 2020 finals.

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Willie Miller
Former Scotland defender on BBC Sportsound

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney and Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie, both of whom have been in fine form for their clubs this season, pulled out of the Scotland squad through injury along with West Bromwich Albion forward Matt Phillips.

But it is in central defence where Alex McLeish has been left short-handed. Scott McKenna, for whom Aberdeen rejected bids from Aston Villa and Celtic this summer after he captained Scotland in their last outing against Mexico, and Hearts' Christophe Berra were already ruled out before Celtic's Jack Hendry withdrew from the squad.

It means that Berra's club-mate, John Souttar, is handed his first cap alongside experienced Blackburn Rovers man Charlie Mulgrew and Kieran Tierney, the Celtic left-back dropping back to form a three-man central defence.

If any of those pick up an injury tonight, there is no centre-half cover in McLeish's squad should he want to employ a similar formation against Albania on Monday.

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We've still to hear Belgium's line-up. But, as already mentioned, they were already denied the services of Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne before Roberto Martinez chose his squad for tonight's friendly and Tuesday's Nations League opener in Iceland.

A hand injury forced Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to withdraw on Wednesday from the party heading to Glasgow - and Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke, with a knee problem, and Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who has a back problem, followed yesterday.

However, that star of Belgian stars, Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, has been passed fit despite sitting out training on Wednesday.

De Bruyne and Fellaini, along with Hazard, started this summer's World Cup semi-final, so Martinez will be forced into at least a couple of changes from the side that was perhaps unfortunate to lose 1-0 to eventual winners France.

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That team news means there are no survivors from Alex McLeish's experimental team that lost to Mexico in June.

But six players - Charlie Mulgrew, Ryan Fraser, Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor played in Scotland's last victory, over Hungary in March, before a number of players were allowed to rest instead of touring the Americas.

Straight into the team news and, as expected, Hearts' John Souttar makes his Scotland debut at the age of 21 in a three-man central defence along with Charlie Mulgrew and Kieran Tierney.

Kevin McDonald, who has stepped up to the Premier League this season with Fulham, wins his second cap after making his debut in this year's home defeat by Costa Rica and will have the holding role in midfield.

Stuart Armstrong and John McGinn will operate just in front of McDonald, with Callum McGregor in the most advanced midfield role behind lone striker Leigh Griffiths.

Ryan Fraser and new captain Andy Robertson provide the width in the wing-back roles, while Celtic's Craig Gordon gets the nod ahead of Allan McGregor in goal with the Rangers man expected to take over against Albania on Monday.

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