Denmark 0-0 Scotland: stalemate in World Cup qualifier as Clarke’s men hold firm

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·6 September 2025

Denmark 0-0 Scotland: stalemate in World Cup qualifier as Clarke’s men hold firm

Denmark and Scotland opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaigns with a goalless but fiercely contested first fixture in Copenhagen.

Still chasing their first World Cup appearance since 1998, Steve Clarke’s side will leave Denmark’s capital satisfied after earning a valuable point against the group’s top seeds.

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As it happened

There was huge anticipation around the Scottish national team ahead of the opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The recent success of Scots abroad – including Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, and Che Adams, all playing in Serie A – had fuelled both excitement and expectation.

Denmark started brightly, immediately showing their quality by dominating possession. Scotland were pushed into a defensive shape and struggled to find composure in attack. On the counter, they failed to connect in the final third despite Andy Robertson’s best efforts to deliver crosses for frontmen Adams and Lyndon Dykes.

The Danes pressed hard in the opening 20 minutes, but a breakthrough proved elusive. Scotland sat deep, at times with eight men behind the ball, and frustrated the hosts with resilient defending. That discipline, combined with blunt attacking play from Clarke’s men, left the match goalless at the interval.

The second half saw the momentum shift. Scotland returned with greater control, pushing into Denmark’s half and dictating spells of possession. Yet, once again, Adams and Dykes were unable to capitalise on their chances.

Denmark also found it difficult to break through, and the contest ebbed and flowed between attacking runs from both sides. A potential turning point came in the 70th minute when substitute Max Johnston was penalised for handball, but after a VAR review he avoided a red card.

Chances were scarce – each side registering just one shot on target – but the closing stages brought drama. Bournemouth’s new signing Ben Doak almost made an instant impact off the bench, forcing a deflection within a minute of coming on. At the other end, Rasmus Højlund’s volley was superbly saved by Angus Gunn, though the flag was raised for offside.

Five minutes of injury time added further tension. Gunn was called into action again, denying Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s tame effort, before the whistle confirmed a hard-fought 0-0 draw. The relief was evident as Scotland’s players sank to their knees at full-time.

Denmark will feel frustrated not to have taken three points at home in a fixture many expected them to win. Scotland, meanwhile, will be satisfied with a valuable point as they prepare for a long campaign in a group that also features improving Greece and Belarus. Greece sent out an early statement in their opener, thrashing Belarus 5-1 in Athens.

Looking ahead, Denmark face Greece away on Monday (19:45 BST), while Scotland meet Belarus in Hungary (19:45 BST), with the Belarusians serving a home ban imposed by UEFA due to the nation’s support of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.