On a day when it seemed absurd to look for any kind of comfort given what was arguably Scottish football’s darkest day, there would have been little relief in acknowledging the fact that elsewhere in the group things seemed to go according to plan for one side as Belgium hit the ground running.

The team who took third place in this summer’s World Cup under Roberto Martinez had a host of injury problems but it did not hold them back as they clocked up a comfortable 3-1 win in their opening game of the qualification group.

Here are five things we learned last night as Scotland drowned their sorrows.

Did Chelsea hire a voodoo doctor to cast a dark spell on Thibaut Courtois? The 26-year-old is having the kind of nightmare season that will linger in his psyche long after the last ball has been kicked this term. The former Chelsea keeper made a howler that ultimately counted as little more than a statistical note in this game but nonetheless added to the sense of fragility he has exhibited throughout season. Courtois’ utterly unforced error as he tripped over the ball after lingering with it as his feet gifted Russia a way back into the game came on the back of Zinedine Zidane’s call to drop him from the number one spot with Real Madrid. The SFA might wish to seek out the number for those who do dark magic ahead of Sunday’s game against San Marino.

Not even the most potent of spells could persuade any sane observer that Scotland should be capable of keeping either Belgium or Russia at bay. If the mighty Kazakhstan are capable of taking three goals off of Scotland - and looked good for it - then what might Belgium or Russia do a defence that fell apart at the simplest hint of a threat? Granted, Courtois might indulge Alex McLeish’s side by offering the kind of gift he gave Russia last night but ultimately both teams on show in Brussels last night ought to send a collective shiver down the spine of the national side. Eden Hazard in particular looked potent which does not auger well given how soft and slow the Scotland defence was earlier in the day. Approach both with some caution.

Belgium are still a force to be reckoned with. Even without the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bryne and Vincent Kompany, Belgium looked like a team capable of causing problems to any major European side. With pace throughout the team and a host of players capable of making something from nothing, the money would be on Martinez’s side topping the group before making another decent impact at next summer’s tournament.

On a more parochial note, Dedryck Boyata is fit. The Celtic defender missed Sunday’s win at Dens Park with a knock but started the game against Russia alongside Tottenham pair Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. With Celtic hosting Rangers nest Sunday and still getting over their catalogue of injuries - and Kieran Tierney’s situation does not auger well - there would have been something from last night’s game in Brussels for Neil Lennon to take a positive from.

The final thing we learned is that when you have managed to muck up your own chances of making a positive impact on a virgin campaign there is a perennial feeling of being on the outside looking in when charting whatever is going on elsewhere. There is a deep suspicion that summer 2020 will be spent watching both Belgium and Russia compete at a tournament that will sail right on by Scotland once again.