Key events
John McGinn: “It’s very easy to criticise Grant Hanley”
“The first 15 we suffered a lot,” says the Scotland midfielder, who I’ve stitched up like a kipper in the headline for reasons that will soon become apparent. “The effort from everyone was superb and we managed to keep a clean sheet which is brilliant. It’s very easy to criticise Grant Hanley – he heads everything, clears everything. The back four were outstanding. It was about staying in the game. We’re managing games better the past couple of years. Tonight looked like a Steve Clarke team.”
It’s probably worth mentioning that his comment about “how easy” it is to criticise Grant Hanley came in direct response to a question about Clarke’s decision to start Hanley ahead of a younger player, although I’m not sure the Hibs defender will see it that way.
As I’ve said already, Scotland’s next game is against Belarus and will be played in Hungary behind closed doors because Belarus’s support for Russia in their war against Ukraine means they are not allowed play at home. “We weren’t bad during Covid times so it should be fine behind closed doors on Monday,” says McGinn. It seems harsh on Scotland if, as seems to be the case, they aren’t allowed to bring any fans to Zalaegerszeg.
That Max Johnston incident: I’ve just seen another replay of the incident where the ref was sent to his screen to take a look at the recently-introduced Johnston’s handball under pressure from Mika Biereth.
The duo were contesting a long punt from Kasper Schmeichel and despite his effort to clear the ball, Johnston missed it with his head. The ball did appear to hit the short sleeve covering his upper arm and I think that’s what saved him as he denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. He did move his arm towards the ball but given the byzantine complexities of the handball law, I’m not sure if that matters.
World Cup qualifying results
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Group B: Slovenia 2-2 Sweden
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Group B: Switzerland 4-0 Kosovo
Full time: Denmark 0-0 Scotland
Group C: Scotland’s players are exhausted but it’s those of Denmark who are looking disconsolate after being held to a scoreless draw on their own turf. Steve Clarke’s side had to ride their luck at time but a heroic defensive earns them a priceless point. Next up: Belarus away on Monday, a game that will be played in the Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg, a place I had never heard of 30 seconds ago.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: With the goal at his mercy, Hojbjerg misses a glorious opportunity to nick all three points for Denmark, sending a powerful header straight at Gunn from about seven yards out. We’re deep into added time.
Chelsea 2-1 Manchester CIty
WSL: Chelsea have got off to a winning start at Stamford Bridge in the opening game of this season’s Women’s Super League. Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano got the goals for the reigning champions, while Niamh Charles scored an own goal to give City that most unpleasant of emotions: hope.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: We’re into the final five minutes of normal time in Copenhagen – can Scotland hang in there for what would be a great point? Angus Gunn is called upon to save superbly from Rasmus Hojlund but the substitute’s effort wouldn’t have counted in the extremely unlikely event he had scored because the flag had gone up. Gunn didn’t know he was offside!
Some latest scores: Ukraine 0-2 France, Iceland 5-0 Azerbaijan, Italy 3-0 Estonia, Moldova 0-4 Israel, Faroe Islands0-1 Croatia, Monetenegro 0-1 Czechia.
It’s excellent news in particular for stereotypically excitable Italians after Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Giacomo Raspadori got three goals in 13 minutes for their country.
Slovenia 1-2 Sweden: … yup, it was none other than Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side lead by the odd goal of three in Lubljana.
Slovenia 1-2 Sweden: You won’t believe which Premier League star has just scored for Sweden …
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Oof! Having just come on as a sub, Max Johnston avoids being sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. He headed the ball on to his own upper arm while contesting a high ball from deep and was the last man back. Having given the Scotland substitute a yellow card, the referee was summoned to his pitchside monitor but stuck by his original decision that a booking would suffice. It’s good officiating but if I’m honest, I thought the original decision was extremely harsh. Johnston headed the ball on to his own arm, where it hit his short sleeve. Maybe the ref saw a little push? Whatever his view, it’s a let-off for Scotland.
Greece 5-1 Belarus: The comeback is on.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Anders Dreyer lets fly with a shot from distance that fizzes inches wide of Angus Gunn’s upright and ripples the side-netting. Moments later, neither Che Adams nor Grant Hanley bother making the run that would have enabled one of them to get on the end of a cross from Andy Robertson that could not have been more inviting if it contained an RSVP card. Aaron Hickey is replaced by Max Johnston. There’s 20 minutes left in Copenhagen.
Greece 5-0 Belarus: Christos Tzolis piles the hurt on Belarus in Piraeus, in a match Steve Clarke and his Danish counterpart Brian Riemer will both be watching with interest in the coming days.
Iceland 3-0 Azerbaijan: Isak Bergmann Johannesson scores his second goal of the night to put the game beyond Azerbaijan.
Italy 0-0 Estonia: Approaching the hour mark in Bergamo and Italy have yet to break the deadlock against Estonia. If they fail to win tonight their chances of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup are going to be in serious mild jeopardy.
Iceland 2-0 Azerbaijan: Cologne’s Isak Bergmann Johannesson has doubled Iceland’s lead in Reykjavík, so he has.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg goes close for Denmark only to have a curled effort that was heading inside the foot of the upright deflected out for a corner by Grant Hanley. McTominay has soldiered on despite injuring his knee while overstretching in a bid to relieve Damsgaard of the ball. Here’s hoping it’s nothing too serious and the Ballon d’Or nominee can run it off.
Slovenia 1-1 Sweden: Sandi Lovric levels for the home side a minute after the break in Ljubljana.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Joakim Maele throws himself in front of a John McGinn shot inside the Denmark penalty area and the ball goes out for a corner. Denmark struggle to clear the inswinger but eventually win a throw-in off Hickey. Moments before that McGinn shot, the Scotland midfielder had tried to play the ball into the path of a lung-busting Ryan Christie gallop into the Denmark penalty are but underhit his pass. It’s a great start to the second half by Scotland but Scott McTominay has just gone to ground injured.
Group C: Denmark 0-0 Scotland
The second half is under way: Mikkel Damsgaard gets the ball rolling for the Danes and there don’t appear to be any changes in personnel on either side. If Scotland can hold out for a draw or even nick a win tonight, it would be a fantastic start to their qualifying campaign.
World Cup qualifiers – half-time scores
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Group B: Slovenia 0-1 Sweden
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Group B: Switzerland 4-0 Kosovo
Denmark 0-0 Scotland
Half-time: A game that Denmark have dominated, albeit without creating any clear-cut chances adjourns for the half-time interval. I’ll tell you who the Danes could do with in their attempts to break down this obdurate Scottish defence – Christian Eriksen, who has scored in their past three games but was dropped from the current squad.
Greece 4-0 Belarus: Dimitrios Kourbelis has added a fourth to Greece’s tally in Piraeus in tonight’s other Group C encounter.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Steve Clarke’s side are living on the edge in Copenhagen but look like they might make it to half-time without conceding. They have had one excellent chance, a headed opportunity that Ryan Christie put wide of the far post after connecting with an excellent John McGinn cross. That aside, Denmark have been hammering on the door.
Moldova 0-2 Israel: As things stand, Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy, who are drawing at home to Estonia, will be third in Group I behind Norway and Israel with a game in hand over the side that’s beating Moldova. The Italians couldn’t conceivably fail to qualify for three consecutive Wortld Cups, could they?
In other qualifiers I’ve failed to mention thus far, Croatia are a goal up against Faroe Islands and Czechia lead by the only goal of the game away at Montenegro. Both those games are in Group L, which is being bossed by a Czechia side who have played more games than anyone else.
WSL: Approaching half-time at Stamford Bridge, it’s 1-0 to Chelsea in their match against Manchester City because of course it is. Aggie Beever-Jones put the reigning champions ahead and you can follow the second-half with Rob Smyth …
Switzerland 2-0 Kosovo: The Swiss have rattled off a quickfire double against Kosovo, with Manuel Akanji and Breel Embolo scoring two goals in three minutes in their Group B encounter.
Greece 3-0 Belarus: As Denmark and Scotland play out a stalemate in Copenhagen, Greece are already laying down a Group C marker. They’ve just gone 3-0 up against Belarus in what is amounting to a turkey-shoot.
Slovenia 0-1 Sweden: With much of the focus in Lujbljana on a player that recently left Newcastle, one who recently joined them has opened the scoring for Sweden. Anthony Elanga, take a bow.
Greece 2-0 Belarus: Greece have doubled their lead in Piraeus, with Vangelops Pavlidis doubling their tally against the team likely to end up as Group C whipping boys. Having said that, with Scotland among the four teams, it would not come as a massive surprise if they have some competition for fourth place. Pavlidis spanked a beauty of a half-volley past Pavel Pavlyuchenko in the Belarus goal after connecting with a sublime assist from Karetsas.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: With 15 minutes played at Parken, it would be fair to say Scotland are under the Denmark cosh. They’re conceding corner after corner and their defending reeks slightly of desperation but they’re holding out for now.
Ukraine 0-1 France: Michael Olise has opened the scoring for the visitors in Wroclaw, where fellow “visitors” Ukraine are hosting France. The Bayern Munich man stroked a precision shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards after connecting with a low Bradley Barcola cross from the left.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Scotland get an early warning when Morten Hjulmand sticks out a leg to steer a Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick swung in from the left and prod the ball straight into Angus Gunn’s breadbasket. It’s a terrible miss but he was offside, due in no smart to the commendably high line Scotland were keeping as the free-kick was taken.
Denmark 0-0 Scotland: Denmark midfielder Pierre Emile Hojbjerg has picked up an early yellow card for a foul on John McGinn.
Greece 1-0 Belarus: Elsewhere in Group C, Konstantinos Karetsas has taken just three minutes to fire Greece ahead in their qualifier against Belarus in Piraeus. The 17-year-old midfield talent plies his trade with Genk in Belgium.
WSL: It’s scoreless at Stamford Bridge after 17 minutes of the curtain-raiser between Chelsea and Manchester City but the visitors have roared out of the traps against the reigning champions. Rob Smyth has the latest …
Denmark v Scotland is go …
1 min: Scotland might not win the World Cup but at least Andy Robertson can sit any future grandchildren he might have on his knee and tell them about the time he won the toss ahead of their first qualifier for the 2o26 tournament. His side get the ball rolling as assorted qualifiers get under way across the continent.
Denmark: Despite having scored in each of Denmark’s past three games, Christian Eriksen has been dropped from tonight’s squad. Brian Riemer decided to leave the 33-year-old out because he hasn’t managed to find a club since leaving Manchester United in June. He is believed to have been keeping himself fit by training with the Swedish club Malmo, but Riemer clearly feels he has not done enough to merit inclusion tonight.
Scotland: It’s no great surprise that Steve Clarke has made seven changes to the experimental side that hammered Liechtenstein in a friendly in June. Rarely one to inspire huge confidence while playing for his country, Angus Gunn is back in goal in place of the injured first choice Craig Gordon, while it’s great to see Brentford’s Aaron Hickey back in defence after a near two-year absence with various injury issues. John Souttar and Grant Hanley also come into the back four.
In midfield, Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie are in for Billy Gilmour and Lennon Miller, while Lyndon Dykes will play as a lone striker in front of Che Adams. Ipswich Town’s George Hirst has to make do with a place in the bench but is likely to see some action.
Last night’s action …
Easy wins for Spain and Belgium, battling victories for Wales and Northern Ireland, Germany lost their first World Cup qualifier away from home against Slovakia and Poland came from behind courtesy of a Matty Cash thunderbolt to take a point and dent Dutch hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Read on …
Women’s Super League
The new WSL season gets under way tonight, when Chelsea begin their latest title defence by hosting Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Sam Kerr is back in the Chelsea squad after 20 months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury and her head coach Sonia Bompastor has said the Australian will play some part in the game. You can listen to the Women’s Football Weekly WSL season preview podcast by clicking on the link below, or else subscribe on your usual pod platform.
Alexander Isak on the bench for Sweden
Slovenia v Sweden: Having missed pre-season and spent most of the past six weeks alone kicking footballs into an empty goal in a secluded corner of Newcastle’s training ground, it’s no great surprise that Alexander Isak is not in Jon Dahl Tomasson’s starting line-up to face Slovenia tonight. Liverpool’s brand new striker is among the substitutes, with Viktor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga having got the nod ahead of him.
Chelsea v Manchester City … live! You can follow the action from the WSL season curtain-raiser at Stamford Bridge with Rob Smyth’s minute-by-minute report.
Denmark v Scotland line-ups
Denmark: Schmeichel, Kristensen, Andersen, Andreas Christensen, Maehle, Dreyer, Hojbjerg, Hjulmand, Damsgaard, Dolberg, Biereth.
Subs: Hermansen, Jorgensen, Vestergaard, Hogsberg, O’Riley, Osula, Hojlund, Gronbaek, Skov Olsen, Froholdt, Dorgu, Gaaei.
Scotland: Gunn, Hickey, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson, Ferguson, McTominay, Christie, Adams, McGinn, Dykes.
Subs: Kelly, Clark, Gilmour, Hendry, Miller, McKenna, Doak, Hirst, Bowie, Johnston, McLean, Doig.
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Denmark v Scotland preview
Togo, North Korea, Panama, Saudi Arabia and Wales have featured in the World Cup since Scotland last did in 1998 and while Sterve Clarke’s side are desperate to end their hiatus, the next six matches will dictate their fate and the legacy of their long-serving head coach. Words: Ewan Murray …
Tonight’s Uefa qualifiers
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Group B: Slovenia v Sweden
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Group B: Switzerland v Kosovo
World Cup qualifier clockwatch …
After yesterday’s wins for Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland get their campaign to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico under way with a trip to face Denmark at Parken in Copenhagen. In a four-team group with Greece and Belarus, one imagines the Scots, Danes and Greeks will each fancy their chances of winning the group and consider any finish below a playoff spot an unmitigated disaster.
In terms of Fifa world rankings, Denmark are highest at 21st, Greece are next at 39th, Scotland are 47th and while Belarus (97th) are technically in the role of group whipping boys, they are exactly the kind of minnows Scotland are fabled for tripping up against. It will come as no surprise whatsover if they cause Steve Clarke’s side and the two higher ranked nations in Group C problems, even if they are currently obliged to play their home fixtures in neutral venues due to their ongoing involvement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the group’s other fixture, they play Greece in Athens tonight.
As well as monitoring the Scots, we’ll keep tabs on the other Uefa qualifiers taking place around the continent, making sure to check in on Sweden’s Group B opener against Slovenia in Ljubljana. Unless he’s gone on strike and demanded a move to another, more successful nation, Alexander Isak could feature for the Swedes in his first match of the season. Having successfully agitated for a summer move to Liverpool, the former Newcastle striker seems unlikely to start given that he can’t conceivably be match fit and hasn’t had a proper pre-season but could appear off the bench.
Elsewhere, history suggests the qualifier between Switzerland and Kosovo has the potential to be spicy, while Ukraine get their campaign under way with an eyecatching “home” game against France in the Polish city of Wroclaw. Having failed to qualify for either of the past two World Cups, Italy really need a home win against Estonia if they are to avoid further embarrassment. It would be a seismic shock if Croatia were to slip up against the Faroe Islands in Torshavn.
