Key events
“The voices in my head today,” begins Justin Kavanagh, “are having this conversation…”
DI Jimmy Perez I’m not gonna lie to you, Duncan. Watching you live your life is like watching Scotland try to qualify for the World Cup, It’s frustrating. Embarrassing. At times excruciating. But ultimately, I live in hope that you’ll get there in the end.
Duncan Hunter How many World Cups do you think we’ve got left at our age? Three?
DI Jimmy Perez Away you go. We’ve got six or seven at least.
Duncan Hunter That’s the difference between me and you. You’re an optimist at heart.
“But can you be an optimist as a Scot?”
Erm, depends if you’re a football fan?
A reminder of the teams
Scotland (4-2-3-1ish) Gordon; Hickey, Souttar, McKenna, Robertson; Christie, Ferguson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, McGinn; Dykes.
Subs: Kelly, Bain, Hanley, Tierney, Irving, Adams, Hendry, Barron, Hirst, Shankland, Ralston, McLean.
Denmark (4-2-3-1ish) Schmeichel; Kristensen, Andersen, Christensen, Dorgu; Hjulmand, Hojbjerg; Isaksen, Frohold, Damsgaard; Hojlund.
Subs: Hermansen, Jorgensen, Vestergaard, Hogsberg, Nartey, O’Riley, Eriksen, Norgaard, Billing, Wind, Biereth, Bruun Larsen.
Referee Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Steve Clarke’s pre-match thoughts
[On his team selection] A little bit of freshness. The striker one is pretty straightforward – we ask a lot of the lone striker and Che [Adams] got the hard shit the other night. At the back I was looking for a bit more balance; Scott being a left-footer gets the nod.
It’d be nice to start well. That’s something we’ve discussed. When we have the chance, we have to play – be progressive, create chances. If the game has to be physical we’ve got players who can do that.
I’m ready, the players are the ready. The fans: I hope they’re ready and that they get behind thee team from the first minute to the last.
“Hiya Rob,” writes James Humphries. “You might call the atmosphere of the pub I’m in ‘nervous anticipation’, but I think ‘sick dread’ is probably more accurate. Had the horrifying realisation after Ireland’s result that things are now falling into place for us to once again be on the wrong end of someone else’s feelgood story in the playoffs.
“Anyway, we all know what happens when I email in during games (see eg Celtic-Motherwell), so you’ll just have to imagine my pained howls as the disaster unfolds.”
I’m only 450 miles away so I’d imagine I’ll hear them.
“Evening Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “I’ve avoided the build up to tonight’s winner takes all showdown at Hampden all day, but no longer. June 1998 is etched into my memory as not only the month that Scotland last played a game in the World Cup finals, but also when, what was it, oh yes, my first child was born. Twenty seven years of hurt since. And the football hasn’t been much fun either. But all that could change tonight…”
You’re going to reveal you became a father in June 1990?
‘At least this wee fella loves me’
This piece by Scott Murray is 13 years old, yet it’s somehow timeless.
There’s no need to be raking over the ashes of the 1978 campaign again, other than to recall one of the great press conferences, poor Ally MacLeod bending down to stroke a stray dog in attempt to dodge the brickbats aimed at his noggin in the wake of Scotland’s miserable draw with Iran. “At least this wee fella loves me,” he simpered, nanoseconds before the cur sank its gnashers into the hand of the Souness-shunning sadsack.
This is great fun. Since you asked, 14/15.
Thirty-four teams have qualified for the World Cup. Read all about ‘em
Wales v North Macedonia team news
Harry Wilson captains Wales in the absence of the suspended Ethan Ampadu. Josh Sheehan, Brennan Johnson and Liam Cullen all come into the side.
Wales Darlow; Williams, Lawlor, Rodon, Dasilva, Sheehan, Wilson, D James, Cullen, Brooks, Johnson.
Subs: King, A Davies, Mepham, Koumas, I Davies, Kpakio, Norrington-Davies, J Colwill, R Colwill, Harris, Thomas, Broadhead.
North Macedonia Dimitrievski, Ilievski, Velkovski, Zajkov, Askovski, Kostadinov, Bardhi, Alimi, Stojchevski, Miovski, Elmas.
Subs: Iliev, Aleksovski, Serafimov, Babunski, Trajkovski, Churlinov, Despotovski, Rastoder, Qamili, Ristovski, Ramadani, Atanasov.
Fancy some goosebumps? If you haven’t seen the celebrations after Troy Parrott’s third goal for Ireland on Sunday, I implore you to watch this irresistible slice of life-affirmation.
Denmark team news: Hojlund returns
Four changes from the Denmark from the XI that started their potential costly draw at home to Belarus. Joachim Andersen, Morten Hjulmand, Victor Froholdt and Rasmus Hojlund replace Jannik Vestergaard, Christian Norgaard, Christian Eriksen and Jonas Wind.
Denmark (4-2-3-1ish) Schmeichel; Kristensen, Andersen, Christensen, Dorgu; Hjulmand, Hojbjerg; Isaksen, Froholdt, Damsgaard; Hojlund.
Subs: Hermansen, Jorgensen, Vestergaard, Hogsberg, Nartey, O’Riley, Eriksen, Norgaard, Billing, Wind, Biereth, Bruun Larsen.
Scotland team news: Dykes and McKenna start
Steve Clarke has made two changes from the madcap defeat in Greece on Saturday. Scott McKenna replaces Grant Hanley and Lyndon Dykes is preferred up front to Che Adams. Interesting. Very interesting.
Scotland (4-2-3-1ish) Gordon; Hickey, Souttar, McKenna, Robertson; Christie, Ferguson; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, McGinn; Dykes.
Subs: Kelly, Bain, Hanley, Tierney, Irving, Adams, Hendry, Barron, Hirst, Shankland, Ralston, McLean.
Ewan Murray
Wounding events in modern history mean Scotland can not be a football country that expects. It is, however, one on tenterhooks as the prospect of long‑awaited World Cup qualification looms so large.
On paper, the task is simple: beat Denmark at Hampden Park and the Scots will take a place in next summer’s tournament. It is the significance of progress that matters far more than the fact the Danes are ranked 18 places higher in the world.
Scotland have not played in the World Cup since 1998. You must go back to 1989 for the last time they qualified for anything in front of a Hampden audience. This ranks as a game for the ages. Potentially.
The testimony of Andy Robertson is fascinating in this context. The Liverpool full-back and Scotland captain knows a thing or two about marquee achievement. He has 89 caps. What would leading his country to a World Cup mean? “I don’t like thinking about it and that’s the honest answer,” he said. “I’m excited and looking forward to a one-game shootout for the World Cup. If it happens, I’ll tell you how I feel about it.”
The last time Scotland qualified for a World Cup was 11 October 1997, when Sunchyme by Dario G – it’s okay, you can admit you like it now – was second in the charts, William Hague was all over the front pages and some of us had more hair then him.
Scotland beat Latvia 2-0 that night and qualified automatically as the best runner-up across nine groups. Tonight’s task is tougher, but then the reward is greater. If Scotland beat Denmark at Hampden, they will be among the chosen 48 for next summer’s World Cup; if they draw or lose, they will go into the playoffs. It’s mercifully simple, terrifyingly so if you’re a Scotland fan.
Scotland v Denmark is our main focus but we’ll have goalflashes from Cardiff, where Wales need to beat North Macedonia to improve their seeding for the upcoming playoffs, and half-time/full-time updates from the other matches. Here’s the full list.
Group B
Kosovo v Switzerland
Sweden v Slovenia
Switzerland will qualify automatically unless they lose by six goals to Kosovo, who along with Sweden are guaranteed a playoff place.
Group C
Belarus v Greece
Scotland v Denmark
See above
Group E
Spain v Turkey
Bulgaria v Georgia
Spain will qualify unless they lose by seven goals at home to Turkey, who are guaranteed a playoff place. Spain could join England in winning every game without conceding a goal.
Group H
Romania v San Marino
Austria v Bosnia and Herzegovina
This group is a bit tighter. Bosnia and Herzegovina will steal the automatic qualification spot from Austria if they win in Vienna. Romania are guaranteed a playoff spot along with Austria or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Group I
Belgium v Liechtenstein
Wales v North Macedonia
Belgium need to win at home to Liechtenstein to guarantee automatic qualification, though a draw should be enough and we feel a bit silly acknowleding this as a live prospect. Assuming Belgium win, Wales and North Macedonia – both guaranteed a playoff place – are fighting for a better seeding in that draw. They are level on points but Wales have an inferior goal difference so they need to win.
Preamble
Preamble? There are no preambles. Who needs preambles when Scotland are one win away from reaching their first World Cup since 1998.
Kick off 7.45pm.
