Denmark boss insists his team are more ‘fired up’ than Scotland for crucial World Cup qualifier | OneFootball

Denmark manager Brian Riemer has declared his side will be even more "fired up" than Scotland and their fervent supporters ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park.

The high-stakes encounter sees the Danes battling for automatic qualification, with Scotland also vying for a place at next year’s tournament.

The qualification race in Group C was dramatically reshaped after Denmark’s unexpected 2-2 home draw against Belarus on Saturday. This result offered Steve Clarke’s Scotland a crucial lifeline, despite their own 3-2 defeat to Greece.

As it stands, Denmark holds a slender one-point advantage over the second-placed Scots heading into the final group fixture, which is expected to be a sell-out as Scotland aims to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998.

When questioned about potential illness within his squad and the anticipated motivation of the home crowd and Clarke’s team, Riemer was unequivocal.

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Brian Riemer believes his Denmark team will be more ‘fired up’ than Scotland for Tuesday’s match (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

"Not as fired up as us, so that’s my first answer," the 47-year-old stated. He confirmed that attacker Anders Dreyer is sidelined due to illness, while fellow forward Rasmus Hojlund, who missed the Belarus game, remains a doubt for a starting position.

Riemer acknowledged the challenges posed by player availability. "I would lie to you if I said that I’ve enjoyed the small bumps we’ve had regarding illness," he admitted.

"Obviously every coach will always choose to come into a camp when you have no injuries, no illnesses, no problems, no suspensions."

Despite these setbacks, the Danish boss expressed confidence in his squad’s resilience and depth.

"But I must say, for my year so far as Denmark coach, for every single time we’ve come in for a game or for a camp, there’s been something, whether it was players looking for clubs, players with illnesses, injuries, suspensions. It’s a part of the job as a manager.

“And at the end of the day we have a really good squad. That’s my feeling. We have great players who start the game, we have great players on the bench. And it’s a top group, they are really behind each other. So for me, it’s not a big thing, but of course, at the end of the day, you prefer that you don’t have these small bumps."

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Scotland lost to Greece on Saturday but still have a chance of qualifying automatically for the World Cup (AFP via Getty Images)

Riemer is convinced his team has already moved past the disappointment of the Belarus draw, with their sights firmly set on securing top spot and a direct ticket to the global showpiece. The runners-up will face a play-off.

"I don’t think anyone has one second of their mindset on that," he asserted, dismissing any lingering effects of the previous result.

"We play for a World Cup ticket tomorrow. And what happened in the first game, second game, fifth game is completely irrelevant at this stage.

“To sit in the changing room after not having secured the ticket for the World Cup, because we were having a hangover from the Belarus game – I don’t think that’s possible with top professional football players.

“They know what it’s all about. It’s the big dream for the squad, it’s the big target for the team. We have a job that we need to sort."