Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund has drawn a mixed reaction for a comment he made following his side’s 4-2 defeat to Scotland in World Cup qualifying in Glasgow.
Scotland qualified for their first World Cup finals since 1998 with a win over the Danes in front of nearly 50,000 jubilant spectators inside a raucous Hampden Park.
Scott McTominay opened the scoring with an acrobatic overhead kick, which left Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel with no chance on the three-minute mark.
If Scotland could’ve held on to their lead, their spot at next summer’s tournament would’ve been confirmed, but as the Tartan Army know all too well, their side rarely do things the easy way, and this was the case on Tuesday (November 18).
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On 57 minutes, Napoli forward, who is on loan from Manchester United, Hojlund levelled things from the penalty spot before his teammate Rasmus Kristensen was sent off for a second bookable offence just four minutes later.
With just over 30 minutes to play, the game was hanging in the balance before Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland tapped home his fourth goal for Scotland to make it 2-1 with 12 minutes left.
But the away side hit back through United left-back Patrick Dorgu on 81 minutes to make it 2-2.
At this point, Scotland were heading for the dreaded play-offs, which are set to take place in March, but a moment of magic sealed Steve Clarke’s team’s spot at the World Cup.
Former Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney curled a long-range effort past Schmeichel on 93 minutes, lifting the roof off Hampden Park.
But the Scots were not finished quite yet as Norwich City’s Kenny McLean rounded off the historic win by beating the Danish keeper from his own half on 98 minutes.
As a result, Denmark now face the dreaded play-off in March. Brian Riemer’s side will be part of pot one alongside Italy, Turkey and Ukraine.
And despite losing the game, Denmark striker Hojlund still congratulated McTominay.
“Congrats, mate. Well done,” Hojlund commented on the Scot’s Instagram post following the match.
Fans quickly expressed a range of opinions about Hojlund’s comment, highlighting both appreciation for his sportsmanship and criticism for congratulating a rival right after a major defeat.
One said: “I don't see anything wrong in congratulating a colleague. It was a close fight, but Scotland won in the end, so congratulations to them.”
Another added: “Congratulating him when he’s literally not going to qualify for the WC, his IQ is actually so low.”
While a third claimed: “Most footballers' egos wouldn't even allow them to scroll on social media just after missing out on a World Cup spot.”
As a fourth commented: “Isn’t that just sportsmanship?"
Of course, Hojlund and McTominay have been teammates twice - at United and current Serie A champions Napoli.
Topics: Rasmus Hojlund, Scott Mctominay, Scotland, Denmark, Football
Luke Davies