Scotland – Denmark: Tierney and McLean Late Show Seal World Cup Dream in Chaotic Six-Goal Thriller (4–2)

Scotland’s journey to the 2026 World Cup finals culminated in a night of historic drama, overcoming Denmark 4–2 at Hampden Park. The decisive victory, sealed by two spectacular stoppage-time goals from substitutes, ended Scotland’s 28-year wait for a World Cup appearance. The match was a frenetic affair, defined by Denmark’s need for controlled possession with 70% share, Scotland’s relentless counter-attacking spirit, holding only 30% possession, a crucial red card, and a breathtaking, chaotic finish that will live long in the Tartan Army’s memory.

Tactical analysis and match report by Aderemi Qoyum.

We decided to make this article free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription.

This decisive winner-takes-all Group C qualifier pitched Steve Clarke’s resilient Scotland against Brian Riemer’s technically gifted Denmark, who needed only a draw for automatic qualification. Denmark aimed to leverage their central midfield quality to dictate tempo, while Scotland relied on their defensive structure and the explosive pace of their wide players in transition. The tactical dynamic was profoundly influenced by Scotland’s explosive opening goal, the Danes’ subsequent tactical reset, and the second-half dismissal.

Scotland lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Craig Gordon was in goal; the back four consisted of Aaron Hickey, Grant Hanley, Scott McKenna, and Captain Andrew Robertson. The midfield featured Ben Doak at right midfield, Ryan Christie as right centre-midfield, Lewis Ferguson as left centre-midfield, and John McGinn at left midfield. The attack was led by Scott McTominay and Lyndon Dykes.

Brian Riemer’s Denmark started in a 4-2-3-1 shape. Kasper Schmeichel was in goal; a back four of Rasmus Kristensen, Joachim Andersen, Andreas Christensen, and Patrick Dorgu. The double pivot comprised Morten Hjulmand and Captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. The attacking midfield role was filled by Victor Froholdt. The attack featured Gustav Isaksen at right wing, Rasmus Højlund at striker, and Mikkel Damsgaard on the left, though Damsgaard played more centrally.

The Shock and Denmark’s Build-Up

Denmark’s patient, possession-based strategy was instantly undermined in the 4th minute when Scott McTominay scored a spectacular bicycle kick. The early goal forced Denmark to accelerate their tempo. The initial tactical battle focused on Denmark’s goal kicks. Scotland, despite having the lead, employed an aggressive, high press to prevent Denmark from settling back into the game. Dykes and McTominay led the press against the centre-backs, while the midfield two of Ferguson and Christie jumped aggressively onto Denmark’s pivots Hjulmand and Højbjerg while McGinn and Doak prepare to press the full-backs. This high-energy commitment was designed to generate quick turnovers in dangerous areas.

Scotland’s aggressive press against Denmark’s build up

The Structural Fix

The early injury to Ben Doak forced a substitution in the 21st minute: Kenny McLean came on into the midfield, with Ryan Christie shifting wide to right midfield.

When Denmark did manage to bypass the press, they utilized a complex possession structure, shifting into a 3-2-5 shape. Left-back Patrick Dorgu pushed high, while left-winger Mikkel Damsgaard moved centrally into the half-space or centre to create overloads. This combination created a severe problem for Scotland’s right-sided defence, with Aaron Hickey frequently finding himself outnumbered 1v2 on his flank as he would be concerned about Dorgu’s overlaping runs and Damsgaard movements in between the lines. Damsgaard exploited this space, receiving the ball and placing dangerous through balls forward.

To solve the overload on the right, Steve Clarke executed a critical tactical fix early on. Scott McTominay dropped back from the forward line into the midfield to mark Morten Hjulmand, who eventually had a bad game. Simultaneously, Lewis Ferguson dropped into the defensive line, effectively turning Scotland’s initial 4-4-2 shape mid-block into a 5-4-1 shape. This adjustment allowed Ferguson to directly track Victor Froholdt in the right half-space, neutralizing the Danish attacking midfielder, and freeing Aaron Hickey to focus solely on the high threat of Patrick Dorgu.

Min 27′ Scotland’s adjusted defensive shape to defend the halfspaces well.

Clarke’s Aggressive Substitutions Flip the Momentum

With Scotland struggling to progress against Denmark’s compact low block, the equaliser in the 58th minute — a Rasmus Højlund penalty for 1–1 — momentarily shifted the momentum. But the real inflection point arrived just three minutes later. In the 61st minute, Rasmus Kristensen received a second yellow card, reducing Denmark to ten men and forcing Brian Riemer into a reactive structural adjustment.

Sensing this, Steve Clarke acted decisively. His substitutions in the 64th minute — Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland for Dykes and Christie — sharpened Scotland’s attacking structure. The introduction of two natural penalty-box presences increased Scotland’s vertical threat and improved their ability to pin Denmark’s centre-backs. Denmark also had to sacrifice Damsgaard for centre back Vestergaard for defensive solidarity, shifting Christensen to right back.

Denmark collapsed into a 4-4-1 defensive shell, retreating into a narrower, deeper posture to protect the central lanes. This change created a clear tactical opportunity for Scotland: horizontal overloads, especially down the flanks now under-defended following the red card.

Min 65′ Denmark settled into a 4-4-1 defensive shape after going one man down.

Clarke doubled down on the momentum swing in the 72nd minute, introducing Kieran Tierney, whose aggressive ball-carrying and attacking threats immediately stretched Denmark’s weakened wide areas, but instead of the left side, he was used on the right as he replaced Hickey.

The breakthrough came in the 79th minute. Scotland executed a rapid left-sided transition, exploiting the narrowness of Denmark’s four-man line. An Lewis Ferguson in-swinging corner from the left was missed by two Denmark players at the near post and Shankland got the final touch from all of two yards for 2-1. It was a defensive horrowshow from Denmark but Scotland will not care! Clarke’s bold changes were validated instantly.

The Chaotic Finale

The closing stages unraveled into pure chaos — a complete departure from the controlled mid-block battle that defined the first half. Christensen had teed up Dorgu inside the area, and he placed the ball into the bottom-left corner with a composed finish. Scotland had been ahead for just four minutes, and now they needed to find another goal. The 10 men had equalised, and Hampden Park fell silent.

From there, both teams abandoned structure in pursuit of a late winner. Denmark’s desperation, especially with ten men, forced them into a stretched, high-risk 2-3-4 shape during attacking phases. This exposed vast spaces behind their last line — and Scotland were primed to exploit it.

As Denmark committed bodies forward, their rest-defence lines became staggered. In the 93rd minute, a loose clearance from Hjulmand rolled toward Tierney, who found himself with time to set his body. Reading the disorganization ahead, he whipped a sensational left-footed curler from outside the box. It flew into the corner — a perfect exploitation of Denmark’s stressed, incomplete defensive shape. Hampden Park erupted instantly.

Then, in the 98th minute, Hjulmand yet again lost possession before McLean scored a sensational strike from the halfway line, lobbing Kasper Schmeichel, who had ventured upfield. This second late goal was possible because Denmark committed bodies forward and left space behind, especially with their goalkeeper off his line.

Takeaways

This dramatic 4–2 win will be remembered as a victory for the Scottish spirit and tactical pragmatism. Steve Clarke’s side secured qualification with only 30% possession, a clear demonstration that defensive solidity, structural adaptability, set piece prowess and clinical finishing can defeat possession dominance—especially when aided by a crucial red card. Denmark’s late, high-risk strategy, while brave, was ruthlessly exploited by the composure and finishing quality of Scotland’s key players and substitutes, leaving them facing the uncertainty of the play-offs.

Use the arrows to scroll through all available match plots. Click to enlarge.

Check the match plots page for plots of other matches.