Denmark pay a visit to Scotland on Monday evening (7.45pm), as the top two teams in Group F lock horns at Hampden Park. Can the hosts get a positive result in front of the Sky Sports cameras? Read on for our match preview of this World Cup Qualifier, with a couple of concluding betting tips, to find out.
Ever since their disappointing exit at Euro 2020, where they picked up just a single point, the Scots have gone from strength to strength, winning five out of five. Not only do they have a 100% record since their summer exploits, but Steve Clark’s men have performed well, keeping an impressive four clean sheets, scoring a pleasing eight goals en route to collecting 15 points. Thanks to such a run of wins, the Scots have secured a play-off place, meaning that there’s a very real chance that we’ll see Scotland at a World Cup for the first time since their group exit at France 98.
While the Scots have qualified for the play-offs, the Danes have secured themselves a place in the World Cup finals. Nine matches in and Monday’s visitors are yet to drop points, picking up the maximum of 27 points, scoring 30 goals in the process and conceding just one in reply. It’s fair to say that the surprise package at Euro 2020 has made light work of booking a place in Qatar next winter. Kasper Hjulmand’s men will arrive in Glasgow having warmed up with a 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands.
Offensively strong at home
The Scots have impressed overall in qualifying, but home has very much been where the heart is for Steve Clark’s men, at least from an attacking point of view. Collecting ten points from a possible 12 at home, the Tartan Army have only failed to score two or more in one out of four at Hampden Park, notching a total of ten goals.
Most recently, they scored three en route to beating a reasonable Israel outfit, though they didn’t exactly cover themselves in defensive glory on that occasion, conceding twice in the first half. Both Scotland and Denmark have looked strong offensively in Group B, so the difference could be in the defensive third, and in that respect, it’s the Danes that look somewhat stronger than their hosts,
Danes defending defiantly
Scoring lots of goals has been a big part of Denmark’s success in Group B. They’ve scored no less than 30 times in nine qualification matches, scoring at least twice in seven out of nine. Even on the road, the Danes have made light work of scoring goals, scoring 11 in four, notching two or more in three of those four.
Such stats are impressive, but it’s what they’ve done in the defensive third that is perhaps most meritorious. It’s important to note that they’ve not exactly faced the strongest opposition, coming up against Moldova, Faroe Islands, Austria, Israel and Scotland, none of which rank inside the world’s top 20 according to FIFA, but the fact that Hjulmand’s side has conceded just one goal during the qualification process is mightily impressive. Eight out of nine clean sheets points towards a team that can keep things tight, so the hosts, even on their own patch, have their work cut out.
Reverse fixture
This will be the second time that the pair have met in qualification having played each other in Copenhagen back in September. On that occasion, it was reasonably straightforward for the Danes, who dominated possession, had the better of the contest in terms of both shots and shots on target, winning by two goals to nil. Yes, the Red and White had the advantage of playing on home soil, and playing at Hampden Park will be tougher, but their convincing victory is hard to ignore.
Scotland vs Denmark: Betting angle
Given how dominant the Danes have been in qualifying so far, it’s easy to fancy an away win, which is why they’re hot favourites at 5/4. Do the visitors appeal at such odds? Hard to say. One bet that does stand out is ‘Both Teams to Score’ at even money.
We know how well Danes have done defensively, shutting out their opponents in eight out of nine, while Scotland have kept a clean sheet in 50% of their home matches, but is that the be all and end all. On the flipside, the visitors have scored in 100% of their travelling matches, averaging 2.75 goals per 90 minutes. The Scots have scored in 100% of their home games in Group B, averaging 2.5 goals per 90 minutes. Throw in that both should now be able to play with freedom thanks to the fact that everything is signed, sealed, delivered in terms of who finishes top and who finishes second, and goals for both starts to appeal.
Olsen on target again?
Group B has been a happy hunting ground for Andreas Skov Olsen, and at odds of 7/2, the attack-minded midfielder is worth supporting to get on the scoresheet once again. The 21-year-old arrives here with five goals in qualifying, scoring last time out against Faroe Islands, while the Bologna man was also on target in the Danes’ most recent away-day fixture. Should he be involved on this occasion, then punters could do far worse than looking to ride the Skov Olsen goal wave at an attractive price. So these are our betting tips for this Scotland vs Denmark match preview:
- Take both teams to score @ best odds of evens with William Hill.
- Andreas Skov Olsen to score @ best odds of 7/2 with Bet365.
Bradley Gibbs is an experienced football writer. He is an expert analyst on Premier League, and all global football leagues & tournaments, for Just Bookies. Bradley has been published by many respected outlets, including USA Betting and the Racing & Football Outlook. He has also written betting strategy guides.