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Preview: Grasping the thistle
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the deciding Group C Uefa World Cup qualifier between Scotland and Denmark from Hampden Park. No convoluted permutation explanation requited with Scotland one point behind Denmark in second place and four points ahead of Greece in third: victory for Steve Clarke’s side would secure automatic qualification for their first World Cup finals tournament since 1998, a draw or defeat would send Denmark through and consign the hosts to a two-match play-off phase next March involving a one-legged semi-final and a final which determines the final four European qualifiers.
There’s always a sense of ‘classic Scotland’ about their fate in crucial matches since their remarkable run from 1974-98 when they missed out only on USA 94, seeming only to shoot themselves in the foot with the target squarely in their crosshairs. And yet during that golden period they demonstrated a remarkable resilience when required, to beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 by virtue of Big Jim [Holton] and Big Joe [Jordan] at Hampden in front of 95,786 souls in 1973, to defeat Wales 2-0 at Anfield with the Hand of [Big] Joe in 1977 to book their place in Argentina, the horrible night at Ninian Park in 1985 when Jock Stein died and the late Davie Cooper’s penalty equaliser earned them a play-off spot and the draw with Norway in 1989 that saw off a resurgent France.
They have a good recent record against Denmark at Hampden, too, winning their last three at home but anyone who watched how Grant Hanley and John Souttar were run ragged by Greece on Saturday night in the 3-2 defeat, and those who remember their ‘choke’ against Ukraine in the play-offs for Qatar 2022 would never risk their mental wellbeing with an excess of pre-match optimism.
Billy Gilmour and Lennon Miller are both missing with injury, Angus Gunn’s absence ought to mean a second run-out in four days for Craig Gordon who, at the age of 42, pulled off a string of sound saves in Piraeus but should have done better to keep out the hosts’ third. As for Denmark, Rasmus Hojlund and Joachim Andersen both sat out the 2-2 draw with Belarus at the weekend with illness but have travelled to Scotland while Burnley’s Jacob Bruun Larsen has been called up to replace Anders Dreyer on the wing after his injury in the last match.
