Denmark Brush Aside Greece to Set Up Decisive Scotland Showdown

Denmark 3-1 Greece: Dominant Danes Book Showdown with Scotland

Denmark powered to a 3-1 win over Greece in Copenhagen to end the visitors’ hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while setting up a potentially decisive Group C finale against Scotland.

The victory secures at least a play-off berth for the Danes, who now top the group on goal difference, level on points with Scotland (10 points each) with two games left to play.

First-Half Blitz Crushes Greek Hopes

It was a commanding opening 45 minutes from Brian Riemer’s Denmark, who blew Greece away with three first-half goals:

Rasmus Hojlund, currently on loan at Napoli from Manchester United, pounced on a defensive error to slot home the opener.
Joachim Andersen doubled the lead with a powerful finish.
Mikkel Damsgaard added a third before the break, leaving the visitors shell-shocked.

Greece Fight Back – But Fall Short

Needing at least a draw to stay alive in the group, Ivan Jovanovic’s Greece improved in the second half:

Tasos Bakasetas hit the post as pressure mounted.
Christos Tzolis gave Greece hope with a driven finish past Kasper Schmeichel.
A dramatic second seemed likely when Vangelis Pavlidis dinked the ball over Schmeichel — only to be denied by a goal-line clearance from Andersen.

Pavlidis later had the ball in the net again, but was clearly offside as Greece’s late push failed to change the outcome.

Group C Standings – What It Means

Team	Points	GD	Remaining Games
Denmark	10	+11	2
Scotland	10	+5	2
Greece	3	-7	2 (Eliminated)

Scotland beat Belarus 2-1 earlier in the evening.
Denmark’s superior goal difference (+11) keeps them top of the group.
The two sides will meet in Glasgow on 18 November in what could be a winner-takes-all showdown for automatic World Cup qualification.

What They Said

Brian Riemer (Denmark manager):

“The first-half performance was close to perfect. We showed urgency, precision, and the hunger to put the group back in our hands.”

Ivan Jovanovic (Greece manager):

“We tried to respond in the second half, and I’m proud of the fight, but we left ourselves too much to do.”

What’s Next?

Denmark vs Belarus – 15 November
Greece vs Scotland – 15 November
Scotland vs Denmark – 18 November (Glasgow, 19:45 GMT)

The Group C finale is now finely poised — and Denmark’s trip to Glasgow could determine who qualifies automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.