Denmark vs Greece: Match Preview and Prediction

October 12. 19:00. Copenhagen. Parken Stadium
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Group C. Round 8

Denmark - Greece

Disqualified: Hojberg (Denmark)

Injured: Kyriakopoulos, Retsos (Greece)

On Sunday, Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will host Greece in the Round 8 match, where Denmark will host Greece at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. The hosts currently lead the group with seven points, ahead of Scotland on goal difference. For the visitors, this game is their last realistic chance to get back into the fight for direct qualification – they have only three points so far.

Denmark

After the semi-finals of Euro 2020, Denmark's form has dipped somewhat in recent years. However, they maintain a solid foundation, consistently reaching the finals of major tournaments. After being eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, they only reached the round of 16 of Euro 2024 without a win. That tournament marked the end for Kasper Hülmand. Lars Knudsen took charge of the team on an interim basis during the Nations League last autumn before Brian Riemer took over as permanent coach. This is Riemer's second coaching job after his time at Anderlecht. In the Nations League, they progressed through the group stage, but were drawn against Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Despite being seeded in the top bracket, Denmark have drawn a tough group, with Scotland and Greece as their main rivals for qualification. The Danes have had a solid season so far. A goalless draw in their opening home match against the Scots was not ideal, but victories have followed. They defeated Greece away thanks to goals from Damsgaard, Christensen and Heilund. Another away trip, this time to Hungary for a match against Belarus, proved even more fruitful. Heilund and Dreyer scored two goals each, while Frjoldt and Dorgu added one each. The Danes have now scored nine goals and have the best defence in European qualifying, although they have yet to concede a goal in three matches.

Another win over Greece would virtually guarantee them a place in at least the play-offs, with a direct ticket to the World Cup dependent on a trip to Glasgow in November. The odds look good, as Denmark have the head-to-head advantage, having won seven of their 13 qualifiers against these opponents and lost just three. Their last meetings before this round came in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, where Ukraine beat both of them to book their place in their only World Cup to date. Back then, the teams traded home wins, but after a crushing away defeat in September, nothing but victory is expected from Riemer's team.

Greece

Since their legendary triumph at Euro 2004, Greece have been in decline. They were regulars at major tournaments throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. But since the 2014 World Cup, that streak has ended and qualification has become a real struggle for the Greeks. Their most recent bid for Euro 2024 ended in defeat to Georgia in a crucial play-off. After Gus Poyet's departure, Papadopoulos briefly took over before Ivan Jovanovic took over. And the credit goes to him - his first tournament was a success. In the Nations League, they finished second behind England, Ireland and Finland, even stunning the Three Lions away. In the play-offs, they defeated Scotland away and earned promotion to League A.

Tough friendlies against Slovakia and Bulgaria in June only fuelled optimism ahead of qualification. The first match also went well, a home win over Belarus, a minor group rival. Karetsas, Pavlidis, Bakasetas, Kurbelis and Tsiolis all scored in a 5-1 rout. But against the main contenders, the disappointment hit hard. They were crushed by Denmark and then conceded three goals to Scotland. Tsimikas put the Greeks ahead in the 62nd minute, but the British turned the game on its head within half an hour.

So Greece simply cannot afford to lose in Copenhagen. A defeat, combined with a likely home win for Scotland over Belarus, would mean that Jovan's men would be left with no hope of making the playoffs. Only a win would keep the competition alive, while a draw would at least keep them in contention, albeit with no margin for error in November. Recent experience has shown that Greece can win important away games, but winning in Copenhagen is a difficult task - they have only done so once, back in 1980.

Denmark v Greece: Expected Line-ups

Hoiberg will miss the game for Denmark due to a yellow card accumulation. Greece will be without Kyriakopoulos and Retsos due to injuries.

Denmark vs. Greece: Author's Prediction

Greece may finally break through Denmark's defense in this qualifier, but I'm still backing the hosts to win. Expect the Danes to win in a goal-filled match with over 2.5 goals.