Scotland begin qualifying campaign with a battling draw
Denmark 0 - 0 Scotland
Scotland began their bid to reach a first World Cup since 1998 with a valuable draw against Denmark in a feverish atmosphere.
Author | Sean M
Stadium | Parken Stadium
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| Pre-match atmosphere |
Steve Clarke’s side, who were swept aside on their last visit four years ago, stood firm this time and even threatened to claim a famous victory in Copenhagen, something not achieved since 1975.
Ryan Christie nodded narrowly wide and John McGinn spurned a good chance at the far post during a first half that exceeded expectations. After the interval Scott McTominay wriggled to the byline only for Kasper Schmeichel to save, while Lyndon Dykes delayed fatally when the goal beckoned.
Denmark were restricted mostly to speculative efforts until the closing minutes, when Angus Gunn had to react sharply to Rasmus Højlund’s volley. Scotland’s resilience was matched by a touch of fortune as substitute Max Johnston escaped with only a yellow card after handling to deny a clear opportunity. The referee reviewed the incident but declined to upgrade his decision.
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| View from the stands |
It would have been harsh in the extreme had Scotland’s effort and togetherness gone unrewarded. Their campaign continues against Belarus in Hungary on Monday.
Clarke silences the doubters
It is hard to count the number of times Steve Clarke has been dismissed as Scotland head coach, but suffice to say the plot has played out more than once in the six years since his appointment.
A scroll through social media or the comments section of various websites made it clear the Scotland line-up was met with scepticism before the start of this match.
An unfamiliar 4-4-2 and the omission of Bournemouth’s Ben Gannon-Doak and Napoli’s Billy Gilmour drew cries of “same old boring Scotland.”
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Boring on paper perhaps, but anything but on the pitch. There was no single standout, though Aaron Hickey and John McGinn might lay claim, as Scotland showed resilience and contained Denmark’s sporadic attacks. Compact, disciplined and united, it was the polar opposite of the 15-minute collapse on this same ground four years ago.
The first half was evenly balanced, if a little flat, though Scotland would gladly have taken that before kick-off. They began with a ferocity that unsettled Denmark, who could barely escape their own half under the weight of Scotland’s pressing and intensity.
In the build-up there had been plenty of talk about confidence and belief, and here was a team showing both in abundance.
They looked like the Clarke side that once made supporters believe again.
