Souness: Be patient and Scots can be legends

For me, if Alex McLeish's men beat Italy and qualify for Euro 2008, it will be the greatest result ever by a Scotland team. No exaggeration, it will be immense. The scale of this achievement cannot be underestimated. To beat France twice has been fantastic. I actually thought the win in Paris was the best result we have had as a country, but to beat the world champions and qualify will be something else.

I know we've played big deciders before and I've figured in a few myself. Holland in the 1978 World Cup finals and the play-off deciders with Wales spring to mind — and yes, they were big games — but because of the standard of opposition this surpasses those for me. It is that difficult a game.

The main reason is the Italians' disciplined approach. Italy are far from unbeatable, they are not full of that many stars these days, but they stick to their system and what they've been told. Every player knows his position and responsibility. They are tactically very aware. Serie A is not a great league to watch. Most teams here try to win the game, but there it is based on defence and that discipline.

When I played there for Sampdoria in 1984, I was with young players such as Gianluca Vialli, who was 20, and Roberto Mancini, who was 19.

The main team at the time was Juventus and playing them was a real education. We faced them when they had Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek. We'd play them off the park, have more possession and lose 1-0. It was all about contra piedi — counter-attack. Every team in Italy knew how to play it and they've been mastering it ever since.

If Scotland go chasing the game, it will play straight into Italy's hands. They have to be patient. Don't chase the game for the first hour — if we are still in it, then give it a go for the last 30 minutes.

Scotland have to prevent Andrea Pirlo and Rino Gattuso getting a hold on the game. Pirlo can be very creative and dangerous at freekicks and Gattuso will always be busy. But they will defend from the front. There won't be many openings for Scotland to exploit.

That may come down to Barry Ferguson. He can again be the outstanding performer and James McFadden, who seems to respond dramatically to pulling on a Scotland shirt, is one the Italians will be wary of.

I see their best weapon as set pieces. Good delivery has helped them against the top sides so far and they will have to take their chances. That will be an important factor, but so will the roar of the Hampden crowd, and the players can use that to their advantage. I'm taking my son James to his first Scotland game. He thinks he's English, so we'll have to see what the atmosphere does for changing that. The last big game I took him to was the World Cup semi-final in Dortmund between Italy and Germany and he was wearing an Italian shirt that day. I'm hoping he'll be wanting to wear a different shade of blue after today.