Dull Danes and flat French play out mutually beneficial 0-0 draw

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group C - Denmark vs France - Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia  France's Steven Nzonzi in action with Denmark's Martin Braithwaite REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The goals finally dried up at this thrilling World Cup on Tuesday when a flat France and dull Denmark played out a mutually beneficial 0-0 draw at the Luzhniki Stadium which allowed the French to finish top of Group C and the Danes to qualify in second spot.

Thirty-six games in Russia had failed to result in a goalless stalemate, but neither France nor Denmark ever looked like scoring in a tedious affair.

France were already assured qualification but wanted to go through in top spot to avoid a likely last-16 clash with in-form Croatia.

Denmark could have only been denied qualification had they lost to France and had Australia beaten Peru in the match being simultaneously played in Sochi.

But with the Peruvians leading 2-0 before the hour in that game, the Moscow clash settled down to little more than a canter.

While not in the same category as the infamous 1982 “Nichtangriffspakt von Gijon” - the non-aggression pact of Gijon - when West Germany and Austria both settled for a 1-0 German win which put them both through, neither side at the Luzhniki looked to be going all out for victory.