World Cup 2018: Scotland in the hunt for play-off berth

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has steered the team to back-to-back victories

With two games remaining, Scotland's fate in World Cup qualifying Group F hopes remain in their own control.

Victories from the final two matches, at home to Slovakia and away to Slovenia, would secure second place.

However, only eight of the nine second-place teams will compete for a place in Russia 2018.

Who will be the unlucky nation to miss out?

As it currently stands, Slovakia are second in Group F and fifth in the table of potential runners-up. For Scotland to finish above Slovakia they need to win the final two games to sit on 20 points.

At the end of the campaign, results and goals against the bottom teams in each group are discounted, so Scotland's two wins against Malta would be removed, leaving them on 14 points.

There are a number of variables, not least the fact that some of the teams currently bottom of their group may not stay in last place, but the simplest outcome for Scotland is that Wales or Bosnia & Herzegovina fail to collect maximum points from their remaining two games.

Any slip up from those sides would mean they cannot reach 14, the tally Scotland must achieve if they are to finish in Group F.

Wales, who have overtaken Republic of Ireland, are away to Georgia and at home to the Irish, who can still finish second but only get to 13.

Bosnia are still to play already-qualified Belgium at home and Estonia away. Greece, their nearest rivals, cannot do better than 13.

Other permutations are possible, since Montenegro, Iceland and Sweden could yet win tight groups or drop out of second place, bringing other nations into the reckoning.

Northern Ireland will almost certainly be out of reach thanks to a healthy goal difference if they take a point from Germany (H) and Norway (A), while Portugal, who are vying for top spot with Switzerland in Group B, have already surpassed the total Scotland are aiming for.

Italy, second behind Spain after just one defeat, are also very well placed to better 14, with Macedonia (H) and Albania (A) to come.

If Gordon Strachan's team do reach the play-offs, the eight teams will be seeded, although the criteria for that has yet to be revealed.