STEVE CLARKE has urged Scotland to set up a “cup final” against Denmark by securing a positive result away to Greece in their penultimate World Cup qualifier.

The Scots have 10 points after four Group C games but are behind the Danes on a goal difference of six which means that Clarke’s men, already guaranteed a play-off spot next March, likely need to take at least a point against the already-eliminated Greeks in Piraeus on November 15 to set up a shoot-out against Denmark three days later.

The Danes host pointless Belarus in their penultimate qualifier and are expected to take all three points before they come to Glasgow and the Scotland boss outlined his aims for the qualifying finale.

“I think we all need to remind ourselves that we would have been delighted to be in this position, coming into the last two games of the qualifying campaign, having already eliminated one of the major threats in the Greeks,” said Clarke, who drafted Lawrence Shankland, Scott Bain, Ross McCrorie and Josh Doig into his squad with Kieron Bowie and the injured Angus Gunn dropping out.

“So they can’t be involved in the play-off. They can’t be involved in the shake-up for first place.

“That doesn’t mean to say it’s not going to be a difficult game in Greece, because I’m sure they will be fired up to prove that they’re better than Scotland. But we’re in a good position.

“What we have to do is make sure we get the result we need in Greece to make the Denmark game here a cup final.

“I thought they [Greece] were pretty dangerous last month at certain times in the game [Scotland won 3-1].

“They’re a very good team. Will they be more fired up? I don’t think they’ll be more fired up. I think they’ll be just as fired up as they were here at Hampden.”