World Cup
2025-11-18 - Scotland vs Denmark
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: World Cup Qualifier
Tuesday 18th November 2025 - Kick Off 7:45pm
This game is live on TV
Scotland
With two games left and with a place in the Play Off secured last month, Scotland will have entered the November internationals believing four points would be needed to have any hope of topping this World Cup Qualifying Group. That would have always included beating Denmark in the last game in the section to secure a place in the World Cup Finals next summer and that remains the focus, despite the loss to Greece on Saturday.
The assumption had been that Denmark would beat Belarus in the other game in the Group and that would have effectively left this tie as a dead rubber with a Scotland defeat considering the big gap in goal difference. However, the failure of the Danes means the winner of this World Cup Qualifier will play in North America next June and Scotland would have signed up for that before the first Qualifier had been played.
Scotland had been unbeaten in 5 games in all competitions and they had won 4 of those matches, but the run was ended in the 3-2 defeat in Greece. They have won both home Qualifiers in this Group and Scotland did beat Croatia and hold Portugal to a draw in home Nations League fixtures last year.
Some key players are absent for Steve Clarke ahead of this big match, but Hampden Park is going perform as 'twelfth man'. The manager may choose to make some changes to the starting eleven after the loss on Saturday.
Denmark
Qualifying for a sixth World Cup Finals in eight runnings of the tournament looked to be well on course for Denmark when leading Belarus and hearing Scotland were trailing in Greece. With a massively superior goal difference, at that moment it felt like Denmark could start booking stays in North America, but the players may have taken their eye off the prize and allowed Belarus to upset the plans.
Instead of virtually securing top spot in this World Cup Qualifying Group, Denmark dropped a couple of points in the draw with Belarus and that means needing a positive result at Hampden Park. A defeat would see them dropped into the Play Off next March, which would be a massive disappointment, but Denmark are unbeaten in this Group and that is a confidence booster, despite the last result.
Denmark are unbeaten in 7 games in all competitions since losing to Portugal in the Nations League Quarter Final in Extra Time. They have won 5 of those 7 matches played, but it should be noted that Denmark had not won any of 6 away games before beating Greece in September.
A virus has been moving through the camp and that has meant Rasmus Hojlund missing out on Saturday. Denmark will be hopeful that he can play a part in this vital World Cup Qualifier, while Joachim Andersen is another hoping to overcome any lingering illness issues.
Head to Head
These two nations played out a goalless draw when meeting in Denmark in the first of the World Cup Qualifiers played in this Group.
Scotland will be confident having beaten Denmark 3 times in a row at home.
That includes a 2-0 win in November 2021 as part of the 2022 World Cup Qualifying Group.
Prediction
In the 2022 World Cup Qualifying campaign, Scotland hosted Denmark in the last match of the Group Stage, but it was a dead rubber for both.
Steve Clarke and the squad will take encouragement from the 2-0 victory over the Danes back in November 2021 and there are still some faces involved in this fixture that took part four years ago.
Scotland have to feel that the footballing gods were shining down on them after losing to Greece, but hearing Denmark had failed to beat Belarus. This means a win on Tuesday will take Scotland through to the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1998 and not have to suffer through the challenges of winning two Play Off ties in March.
Of course the Scots rarely do things easily and the performance level will have to be much improved if they are going to win this one. They did not play badly in Greece, but were 3-0 down at one stage, while last month Scotland won two home Qualifiers without convincing at all.
Denmark will travel to Hampden Park knowing they should have virtually wrapped up top spot, but the failure to beat Belarus means there is still all to play for.
Some of the squad have been dealing with illnesses, which is a potential issue this week, but Denmark do have the quality to contain Scotland and hit them on the break.
You could perhaps suggest that Denmark overlooked Belarus, who have been playing better in the second half of this Qualifying Group Stage.
It would be a huge surprise if Denmark are not much more focused this week and they can perhaps punish Scotland if the hosts have to begin to take risks. A Play Off place is already secured so Scotland will be expected to do that and it could just see another late heartbreaker for the hosts, which would come as no surprise to any Scottish fan.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Scotland 1-2 Denmark
