Match Overview

The 5th-round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament between the national teams of Denmark and Scotland will take place on September 5 at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Here’s a detailed match preview, prediction, and statistical analysis.

Denmark

The Danes are kicking off their current World Cup qualification campaign with this match. In the previous qualifiers, the team confidently won their group, securing nine victories in ten games, with eight of them being clean sheets. However, their performance in the main tournament was disappointing, as they finished last in a group alongside France, Australia, and Tunisia. Notably, Denmark’s only defeat in their last 19 World Cup qualifiers came against Scotland.

• The national team remained undefeated in regular time in nine of their last home matches in World Cup qualification (7 wins, 2 draws).
• The team scored at least two goals in 90 minutes in 6 of their last 9 home fixtures in this qualification campaign.
• The Danes kept a clean sheet in regular time in 5 of their last 6 home World Cup qualifiers.

Denmark’s Provisional Squad (4-3-3)

Kasper Schmeichel – Rasmus Kristensen, Joachim Andersen, Jannik Vestergaard, Patrick Dorgu – Mikkel Damsgaard, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Morten Hjulmand – Andreas Olsen, Rasmus Højlund, Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Team News: Denmark

Midfielder Christian Eriksen was not called up for the upcoming matches, and forward Gustav Isaksen is injured.

Scotland

Steve Clarke’s squad will also play their first match in the current World Cup qualifiers. In the previous qualification campaign, Scotland finished second in their group, which included Denmark, and advanced to the playoffs. However, they were defeated 1-3 by Ukraine in the first round and failed to qualify for the World Cup. That loss ended the national team’s 6-match winning streak in World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, the Scots kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 matches in World Cup qualification. Notably, Scotland has not qualified for the World Cup in the 21st century.

• The team remained undefeated in regular time in 6 of their last 7 away matches in World Cup qualification (4 wins, 2 draws).
• No more than two goals were scored in 90 minutes in five of the national team’s previous away matches in these qualifiers.
• The Scots scored exactly 1 or 2 goals in regular time in 5 of their last 6 away matches in World Cup qualification.

Scotland’s Provisional Squad (4-5-1)

Liam Kelly – Anthony Ralston, John Souttar, Grant Hanley, Andrew Robertson – Ryan Christie, Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, Kenny McLean, John McGinn – Che Adams.

Team News: Scotland

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon was not called up due to injury.

Referee

Daniel Siebert (Germany)

Matches refereed – 15 (International matches, 2024/25);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellow) – 69;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;

Red cards shown – 5;

Average fouls per match – 23;

Penalties awarded – 13%.

Match Prediction: Denmark – Scotland

Denmark’s Form Analysis

Playing on home turf, the Danes consistently deliver strong performances, often securing maximum points. Their attacking style of play ensures regular scoring, with Denmark finding the net in eight of their last nine home World Cup qualifiers, failing only against Ireland. In six of these matches, they scored at least twice, and in four instances, they netted four or more goals.

Scotland’s Form Analysis

Scotland also displays an assertive attacking approach on the road. In their last seven away World Cup qualifiers, they only failed to score once, managing to net at least twice in three of those fixtures. However, defensively, the Scots have struggled, keeping just four clean sheets in their last eleven away World Cup qualifiers, even conceding against Malta.

Final Prediction

Given the attacking tendencies of both sides and Scotland’s defensive vulnerabilities on the road, I anticipate goals from both teams in this encounter. Therefore, my prediction is: ‘Both Teams to Score – Yes’ with odds of 2.01