Christensen's Denmark beat Gilmour's Scotland in 2022 World Cup qualification
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By David Pasztor@D_Peezy Sep 1, 2021, 11:51pm BST
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Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images
A busy international break is under way, and among the first batch of matches was Denmark's 2022 World Cup qualifier against Scotland in Copenhagen, the first match for both national teams since the Euros this summer — a rather dramatic tournament especially for Denmark after Christiansen Eriksen's heart attack in the first game. (Eriksen seems to be doing okay, but obviously not playing.)
Those feelings made for an emotional occasion, which the team leveraged into a straightforward 2-0 win thanks to a dominant first half and two goals in quick succession inside of the first fifteen minutes. The second half was a more even affair, but Scotland weren't able to get back into things on the scoresheet.
From our perspective, the most important was both Andreas Christensen and Billy Gilmour getting the start for their respective nations, and playing solid, injury-free 90 minutes. (Gilmour was taken off in second half stoppage time, to be strictly accurate.)
Elsewhere, Mateo Kovacic played the full 90 in Croatia's 0-0 draw against Russia in Moscow, Ethan Ampadu got 70 or so in Wales' 0-0 (friendly) draw against Finland, Edouard Mendy kept a clean sheet in Senegal's 2-0 win over Togo, while a Kanté-less France were held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Almost-Chelsea player Jules Koundé got sent off in the second half for a late tackle that injured Sead Kolasinac to complete a rather poor display at right back (not his best position, clearly).
Didier Deschamps' absurd belief that Jules Koundé can play right-back for France, one of the many mistakes made at EURO 2020, further made to look silly tonight with poor crossing & a Sunday league tackle-worthy sending off.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) September 1, 2021