Ecstasy in Glasgow: Scotland dramatically defeated Denmark 4-2 with two goals in stoppage time and is heading to the 2026 World Cup. The Danes have to go to the playoffs.
At Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scott McTominay (3rd), Lawrence Shankland (78th), Kieran Tierney (90th+3) and Kenny McLean (90th+8) scored the goals for the Scots, Rasmus Höjlund (57th/penalty) and Patrick Dorgu (81st) scored for the Danes. In the 61st minute, the Dane Rasmus Kristensen had to leave the field with a yellow-red card.
Thanks to their success, the Scots secured victory in the group, making it their first World Cup participation since 1998. Denmark, on the other hand, has to go to the playoffs, but can still hope for their third World Cup participation in a row.
The starting position before the showdown in Group C was clear. The Scots (10 points) were able to secure first place with a win against league leaders Denmark (11), while a draw was enough for Denmark to win the group.
McTominay with a dream goal
And cheered on by their frenetic fans, the Scots played forward from the start and put the Danes under pressure with high pressing. It happened in the 3rd minute. After winning the ball, Ben Gannon-Doak hit a cross towards the penalty spot and there McTominay put the ball into the net with a spectacular and artistic overhead kick – a dream goal.
Scott McTominay doing an overhead kick
The Scots stuck with it, were physically present and were bilious in the duels in order to take the edge off the Danes. And they couldn’t think of much at first. It was only after a quarter of an hour that the red and whites appeared in the opponent’s penalty area for the first time, but only had half chances there.
Gannon-Doak injury shocks Scotland
A shock for the Scots in the 21st minute. Because the assist provider Gannon-Doak had to leave the field injured. The Danes took advantage of the confusion and a little later the ball found its way into the net. However, the Polish referee Szymon Marciniak had before Rasmus’s goal Höjlund saw a striker foul.
But Denmark became stronger and took advantage of its playful superiority. First, Andy Robertson unintentionally placed a corner from Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg dangerously on his own goal, then Höjlund narrowly missed the goal with his header from another corner. Only the Danes were playing (around 80 percent possession of the ball), the Scots were constantly busy on defense and just ran after them.
Things only got really dangerous before the half-time whistle when Höjbjerg put a powerful shot from the second row just past the right post of the Scottish goal. By the way, the Scots didn’t have a single chance to score after McTominay’s dream goal in the third minute, but they defended with a lot of passion.
Danes equalize with a penalty
At the beginning of the second half everything continued in exactly the same way. Shortly after the restart, Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon had to defuse a shot from Höjlund at the near post.
Only the Danes continued to play. The Scots had probably set themselves the goal during the break of somehow keeping the lead over time. A dangerous undertaking because the equalizer was in the air.
It worked fine for ten minutes. Then Robertson caught Gustav Isaksen at the corner of the penalty area and there was a penalty, which Höjlund humorlessly shot into the net after long discussions with the VAR.
Kristensen was sent off with a yellow-red card
The Danes were on the winning track with the draw, but then weakened themselves. After around an hour, Rasmus Kristensen had to leave the field with a yellow-red card after repeated foul play.
Two deficits equalized: Denmark’s supporters had hope until added time.
It was a kind of “hello-wake” effect for Scotland, but they simply didn’t have the means to play. Even with ten men, the Danes controlled the game and the game showed no signs of tipping towards the Scots.
Scotland scores, Denmark responds
Until the 78th minute. A corner from Lewis Ferguson flew past friend and foe and finally landed in the six-yard box to Shankland, who pushed the ball over the line with his shin.
But the Scottish joy did not last long. Just three minutes later, the Scots failed to clear an attack from the Danes, Andreas Christensen played Dorgu free and he pushed the ball dry into the corner.
Two goals in stoppage time
With the draw, Denmark would have secured group victory and the World Cup ticket. But then injury time came and what happened next in Glasgow is difficult to explain. In any case, the game slipped completely out of the Danes’ hands.
First Tierney gave the Scots the lead again in stoppage time out of a commotion in front of the goal, and then McLean even went one better. He scored from the halfway line against Kasper Schmeichel, who was far too far in front of his goal, to make it 4-2.