Kevin de Bruyne inspired Belgium to a brutal defeat of hapless Scotland to all but end hopes of reaching Euro 2020 via their qualification group.
The Manchester City man set up Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld and netted the fourth.
Steve Clarke’s side must now look to next year’s play-offs as their best hope of ending a 22-year wait for an appearance at a major finals.
Victory made it six wins from six for Roberto Martinez’s Group I leaders.
In truth, it could have been far worse for Scotland against the world’s number one ranked side at Hampden, who played well within themselves.
Scotland, in fifth, now trail Russia by nine points and Belgium by 12 with four games to go.
After the chastening 2-1 loss at home to Russia on Friday came this evisceration by Belgium – an Eden Hazard-less Belgium at that. Who needs the Real Madrid man when you already have the supernatural brilliance of De Bruyne on top of desperate weakness from the home team, whose
defence was paper-bag thin, with all due apologies to paper bags?
Scotland, with Kenny McLean, Ryan Christie, Robert Snodgrass and Matt Phillips coming in for John McGinn, Ryan Fraser, James Forrest and Oli McBurnie, had a few early minutes of optimism and then a harrowing night thereafter, the horror show beginning when they conceded the first
goal after just nine minutes. The Scots got done on the counter attack. In leaving themselves so open they were were unbelievably naive and utterly reckless. Incompetence on an international scale.
From the edge of their own box, Belgium went like the clappers after regaining possession from a Snodgrass free-kick, Dries Mertens peeling away and finding De Bruyne who was running free up the left. He had time and space and far, far too much excellence for the scrambling Scottish
defence. He simply looked up, picked out Lukaku who had strolled in on goal all on his lonesome and the Internazionale striker did the rest.
