Artem Dzyuba fended off several Scotland defenders to score his second goal
Scotland had their hopes of automatic Euro 2020 qualification finally extinguished as dominant Russia inflicted a thumping defeat in Moscow.
All four goals came in 27 second-half minutes, Artem Dzyuba netting twice.
Scotland did not muster a shot until the 74th minute. They have scored only three goals and shipped 14 in five games under Steve Clarke.
The Scots remain fifth in Group I and can no longer finish in the top two spots to secure a finals berth.
However, they can still qualify for their first major tournament since 1998 via the Nations League play-offs, which begin in March.
Clarke's men host the group's basement side San Marino on Sunday, before ending their forlorn campaign against Cyprus and Kazakhstan next month.
Russia sit second, three points behind Belgium, and will guarantee their automatic qualification by avoiding defeat against third-placed Cyprus on Sunday.
Captain Dzyuba took his international goal tally to 23 - the same number as the entire Scotland squad - either side of Magomed Ozdoev's 30-yard howitzer before Aleksandr Golovin made it 4-0.
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Reaction & as it happened
Who is your man of the match?
'Cruel dissection of Scotland's performance'
Scotland were lulled into a false sense of security by a passive Russian performance for almost an hour of this match.
There were signs in that period that perhaps the Scots had learned lessons in recent chastening defeats by Russia and Belgium.
But it soon became apparent the home side had been waiting for the moment to up the ante, which they did with a vengeance in 13 second-half minutes.
Dzyuba was their tormentor-in-chief, bullying the hapless Scotland defence and in particular Charlie Mulgrew, who was held off by the bustling striker as he hooked the first goal over his head and beyond David Marshall's outstretched hand from Golovin's corner.
Three minutes later, the game was as good as finished when the ball was worked back to Ozdoev and from around 30 yards he arrowed a powerful drive past the Scotland goalkeeper.
The Russian third - Dzyuba's second - was the Scotland defence at its worst. Mario Fernandes made his way unmarked to the bye-line, heading the ball back to the striker, who held off Mulgrew's attempted challenge to knock it nonchalantly into the net.
It was a ruthless, almost cruel dissection of what had threatened to look like a half-decent Scotland performance.
But any positivity temporarily garnered in a goalless first half was utterly erased when the constant menace of Golovin grabbed a fourth, firing across Marshall and in off the post.
Clarke had pronounced pre-match that he was looking for maximum points from the final four qualifiers, but that looked naive as his team were ripped asunder.
Few quibbled with his appointment and his early run of fixtures has been a thankless one, but it is difficult to overstate the magnitude of the task facing him to turn around the fortunes of a bedraggled squad.
Man of the match - Artem Dzyuba
For sheer creativity, Golovin pushed Dzyuba hard for the accolade, but the striker's two goals just edges him ahead of his team-mate.
The 6ft 5ins forward's power and skill are a fearsome combination, particularly against a defence as malleable as the Scots'.
He struck the bar with another audacious effort and few would have begrudged him a hat-trick on a night he tormented the life out of the Scotland backline.
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Russia
1Alvim Marinato
2Figueira Fernandes
5Semenov
14Dzhikiya
13Kudryashov
7Ozdoev
8Barinov
21IonovSubstituted forAkhmetovat 79'minutes
17Golovin
18ZhirkovSubstituted forCheryshevat 66'minutes
22DzyubaSubstituted forKomlichenkoat 87'minutes
Substitutes
3Ignatjev
4Belyaev
6Cheryshev
9Bakaev
10Akhmetov
11Kuzyaev
12Lunev
15Karavaev
16Dzhanaev
19Komlichenko
20Chistyakov
23Petrov
Scotland
1Marshall
2Palmer
5Devlin
4Mulgrew
3Robertson
10McGregor
6FleckBooked at 41minsSubstituted forArmstrongat 82'minutes
11FraserSubstituted forChristieat 68'minutes
8McGinn
7Snodgrass
9BurkeSubstituted forShanklandat 45'minutes
Substitutes
12McLaughlin
14Findlay
15Gallagher
16Russell
17Forrest
18Armstrong
19Shankland
20Christie
21MacGillivray
22O'Donnell
23Taylor
Referee:
Jakob Kehlet
Match Stats
Home TeamRussiaAway TeamScotland
Possession
Home64%
Away36%
Shots
Home18
Away4
Shots on Target
Home5
Away2
Corners
Home5
Away1
Fouls
Home9
Away4
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Russia 4, Scotland 0.
Full TimePosted at 90'+4'
Second Half ends, Russia 4, Scotland 0.
SubstitutionPosted at 87'
Substitution, Russia. Nikolay Komlichenko replaces Artem Dzyuba.
Posted at 85'
Corner, Russia. Conceded by John McGinn.
Goal!Posted at 84'
Goal! Russia 4, Scotland 0. Aleksandr Golovin (Russia) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Artem Dzyuba.
SubstitutionPosted at 82'
Substitution, Scotland. Stuart Armstrong replaces John Fleck.
SubstitutionPosted at 79'
Substitution, Russia. Ilzat Akhmetov replaces Aleksey Ionov.
Posted at 79'
Attempt missed. John McGinn (Scotland) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Andrew Robertson.
Posted at 77'
Foul by Dimitri Barinov (Russia).
Posted at 77'
John McGinn (Scotland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 74'
Attempt saved. Ryan Christie (Scotland) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass.
Posted at 71'
Attempt blocked. Ryan Christie (Scotland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal!Posted at 70'
Goal! Russia 3, Scotland 0. Artem Dzyuba (Russia) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Posted at 70'
Corner, Russia. Conceded by Andrew Robertson.
Posted at 69'
Foul by Denis Cheryshev (Russia).
Posted at 69'
John Fleck (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
SubstitutionPosted at 68'
Substitution, Scotland. Ryan Christie replaces Ryan Fraser.
SubstitutionPosted at 66'
Substitution, Russia. Denis Cheryshev replaces Yuri Zhirkov.
Posted at 65'
Attempt missed. Artem Dzyuba (Russia) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Fedor Kudryashov.
Posted at 63'
Artem Dzyuba (Russia) hits the bar with a right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left. Assisted by Aleksandr Golovin.
Posted at 62'
Offside, Russia. Aleksandr Golovin tries a through ball, but Aleksey Ionov is caught offside.
Goal!Posted at 60'
Goal! Russia 2, Scotland 0. Magomed Ozdoev (Russia) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Aleksandr Golovin.
Goal!Posted at 57'
Goal! Russia 1, Scotland 0. Artem Dzyuba (Russia) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Aleksandr Golovin with a cross following a corner.
Posted at 56'
Corner, Russia. Conceded by Liam Palmer.
Posted at 55'
Foul by Aleksandr Golovin (Russia).
Posted at 55'
John McGinn (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 53'
Attempt missed. Robert Snodgrass (Scotland) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ryan Fraser with a cross.
Posted at 52'
Attempt blocked. Aleksandr Golovin (Russia) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Magomed Ozdoev.
Posted at 51'
Attempt missed. Aleksandr Golovin (Russia) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Aleksey Ionov.
Second HalfPosted at
Second Half begins Russia 0, Scotland 0.
SubstitutionPosted at 45'
Substitution, Scotland. Lawrence Shankland replaces Oliver Burke.
Half TimePosted at 45'+4'
First Half ends, Russia 0, Scotland 0.
Posted at 45'+1'
Hand ball by Dimitri Barinov (Russia).
Posted at 42'
Attempt blocked. Mario Fernandes (Russia) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
BookingPosted at 41'
John Fleck (Scotland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 41'
Aleksandr Golovin (Russia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 41'
Foul by John Fleck (Scotland).
Posted at 41'
Attempt blocked. Dimitri Barinov (Russia) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Magomed Ozdoev.
Posted at 40'
Attempt missed. Artem Dzyuba (Russia) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mario Fernandes.
Posted at 40'
Attempt saved. Aleksandr Golovin (Russia) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Yuri Zhirkov.
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Source: bbc.com