The Scotland women’s football team have taken a step closer to qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland. This is great news for the team and the fans. But there were also sometimes worrying warning signs.

Scottish women have enjoyed great success so far their qualifying campaign. Five wins and a draw in their Nations League Group B propelled them into the final stages of qualifying. This series of invincibility with only one goal conceded will have once again strengthened confidence in the team after the failures to qualify for the World Cup and the previous Euro.

The first task for qualifying is to beat Hungary over two matches. So far so good, Scotland traveled to Budapest on Friday and returned with a 0-1 lead after a close game. The second leg takes place at home on Tuesday at Easter Road, Edinburgh. The winners of the two matches will face either Finland or Montenegro. The Finns are likely as they too returned home with a one-goal victory in the first leg.

Does this mean the Scots will also be tied on Tuesday? No way. Friday’s victory was comfortable at times, but the Scots did not show the same great form as during their recent run of good results. They struggled a bit during a dull first half, scored after an hour of play and managed to secure the result safely. Both teams had and wasted good chances.

There will be confidence within the team, with the hope of a victory. This can be a dangerous combination and a one-goal lead isn’t much. The players will want to assert themselves more on Tuesday and get off to a good start.

A positive sign, if you believe in such things, comes from the strength of the team. The campaign so far has seen a Scotland team hit by injuries to top players. Three of them are now back in the team. Erin Cuthbert, Sam Kerr and Caroline Weir are available for the Scottish midfield.

They bring top-level club experience from Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, a surely invaluable addition. But together, on the field, they have yet to form the formidable formation or style that they should be together. It seems unlikely that the Scottish boss will make a big change and mix up this midfield trio for the second leg. However, he will expect more from them and other players to get the result needed to advance to the final stage of the playoffs.