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Recap: Johnny Russell starts as Scotland beats Albania 2-0 for winning start to UEFA Nations League

Sporting Kansas City forward Johnny Russell started and played 70 minutes on Monday as the Scotland Men’s National Team claimed a comprehensive 2-0 home victory over Albania in its 2018-19 UEFA Nations League opener at rainy Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Russell (No. 11 pictured above) collected his seventh career cap and his second start as a senior international, joining fellow forward Steven Naismith in a 3-5-2 formation deployed by Scotland head coach Alex McLeish. The hosts went ahead in the 47th minute on an own goal from Albanian defender Berat Djimsiti before Naismith sealed the win with a 68th-minute header off a partially cleared corner kick.