Pocognoli pleased with Scotland's second-half performance against Slovenia

Sebastian Pocognoli began his tenure as Scotland manager with a 0-0 away draw against Slovenia in the UEFA Nations League. The 39-year-old Belgian coach noted that the opening stage of the match was difficult due to the opponent's tactical flexibility, which forced the Scots into a low block.

We faced what we expected, a very aggressive Slovenia team, but we were a bit surprised by their structure. It looked like a five-man defense, but in reality, when they had the ball, it turned into a line of four. Because of that, it was very difficult for us to find a way to press, so we sat quite deep and low. That meant we suffered. Sebastian Pocognoli

After the break, the game dynamics shifted in favor of the Scots. The team began creating chances, with debutant Robbie Ure hitting the post and Oli McBurnie coming close in his first international appearance in five years. However, excellent goalkeeping from Slovenia's Jan Oblak kept the score level.

The emotions in the dressing room after the match were positive because we played a very good second half. Sebastian Pocognoli

The coach refused to criticize his players for the missed opportunities. He suggested that the high volume of work the forwards put into the pressing game likely affected their freshness during the final stages of their attacks. For Scotland, the match represented the first step in Group B1 under their new head coach.