Euro 2020 semi-finalists, Denmark welcome Scotland to Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, in a crunch Group F Qualifier for 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Victory would see Denmark increase their lead at the top of the group to five points at a minimum, whereas Scotland will stay second with a win but cut their deficit down to a single point.
Team News
Denmark have no fresh injury concerns to report despite Leicester’s Jannik Vestergaard featuring amongst five withdrawals through injury.
Vestergaard, Martin Branthwaite (both knee), Nicolai Boilesen, Rasmus Falk and Andreas Cornelius are ruled out through injury, whilst Bournemouth’s Philip Billing is absent through illness.
Scotland will be without Celtic duo of James Forrest and Greg Taylor due to respective knock and shoulder injury.
John McGinn and Nathan Patterson have been left behind in Glasgow as they continue to self-isolate following positive Coronavirus tests, although they are set to re-join the squad on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s home match against Moldova.
Stat Attack
- Denmark are winless in two previous World Cup Qualifiers against Scotland, losing 4-1 at home in October 1972 then 2-0 in Glasgow a month later in Qualifying for 1974 World Cup.
- Scotland have won two of three previous competitive trips to Denmark (W2, L1).
- Five of Denmark’s last seven goals in all competitions were scored by a player with a surname beginning with the letter – D, of which three of those goals were scored by Kasper Dolberg.
- Three of Scotland’s seven goals in March’s World Cup Qualifiers came from John McGinn.
- This Denmark’s first match to ever be refereed by Romania’s Ovidiu Hategan.
Prediction
Having shown unity throughout this summer’s Euros until their semi-final exit with a high-pressing style, Denmark will be keen to to continue that momentum despite losing six players but their remaining members from this summer need to step up more to fill those voids.
Scotland meanwhile know that this is a must-win but can take confidence from their performances this summer against top opposition in their Group Stage exit, simply because their attacking exploits showed promise despite yielding just one goal in return yet defensive blunders proved costly.
On that note, I am intrigued as to how this game will play out because the Danes are missing key players, yet this is an opportunity for fringe players to step up whereas Scotland simply need to try and attack this without conceding.
I am therefore going for a draw if Scotland can take the game to Denmark and show improvement in defence.
Prediction: Denmark 1-1 Scotland
Result: Denmark 2-0 Scotland