# 1986 FIFA World Cup Group E

Group E of the 1986 FIFA World Cup was one of the groups of nations competing at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The group's first round of matches began on 4 June and its last matches were played on 13 June. Matches were played at the Estadio La Corregidora in Querétaro and at the Estadio Neza 86 in Nezahualcóyotl. Impressive debutantes Denmark topped the group - surprisingly beating Germany 2-0 despite having a man sent off: they were joined in the second round by West Germany who would go on to reach the final. 3 red cards were handed out in this group, 2 of them against Uruguay who made the second round but were criticized for their physical play, especially in their last group game against Scotland where José Batista was sent off in under a minute. Scotland Manager Sir Alex Ferguson made the surprise decision to leave out captain Souness and passed responsibility on to Strachan and Albiston, a move with which Ferguson would later recall "his biggest mistake in football" despite being a man up, Scotland was unable to score, the match finishing 0-0, and Uruguay went through in third place instead.
Before the tournament, English-language media reported Uruguay manager Omar Borrás's description of it as the "group of death", popularising a phrase first used in Spanish in the 1970 World Cup.

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Denmark | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | West Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 2 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | |

## Matches
### Uruguay vs West Germany

| Uruguay | West Germany |
| GK | 12 | Fernando Álvez |
| DF | 2 | Nelson Gutiérrez |
| DF | 3 | Eduardo Mario Acevedo |
| DF | 4 | Víctor Diogo | 28' |
| DF | 6 | José Batista |
| MF | 5 | Miguel Bossio |
| MF | 8 | Jorge Barrios (c) | | 56' |
| MF | 11 | Sergio Santín |
| MF | 10 | Enzo Francescoli |
| FW | 9 | Jorge da Silva |
| FW | 7 | Antonio Alzamendi | | 80' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 16 | Mario Saralegui | 62' | 56' |
| FW | 19 | Venancio Ramos | | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Omar Borrás ||
| GK | 1 | Harald Schumacher (c) |
| DF | 2 | Hans-Peter Briegel |
| DF | 4 | Karlheinz Förster |
| DF | 6 | Norbert Eder |
| DF | 14 | Thomas Berthold |
| DF | 15 | Klaus Augenthaler |
| DF | 3 | Andreas Brehme | 46' |
| MF | 10 | Felix Magath |
| MF | 8 | Lothar Matthäus | 75' |
| FW | 19 | Klaus Allofs |
| FW | 9 | Rudi Völler |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Pierre Littbarski | 46' |
| FW | 11 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 75' |
| Manager: ||
| Franz Beckenbauer ||

### Scotland vs Denmark

| Scotland | Denmark |
| GK | 1 | Jim Leighton |
| DF | 2 | Richard Gough |
| DF | 5 | Alex McLeish |
| DF | 6 | Willie Miller |
| DF | 3 | Maurice Malpas |
| MF | 7 | Gordon Strachan | 74' |
| MF | 8 | Roy Aitken |
| MF | 4 | Graeme Souness (c) |
| MF | 13 | Steve Nicol |
| FW | 19 | Charlie Nicholas |
| FW | 20 | Paul Sturrock | 61' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Andy Goram | |
| DF | 14 | David Narey | |
| MF | 11 | Paul McStay | |
| FW | 16 | Frank McAvennie | 61' |
| FW | 9 | Eamonn Bannon | 74' |
| Manager: ||
| Alex Ferguson ||
| GK | 1 | Troels Rasmussen |
| DF | 3 | Søren Busk |
| DF | 4 | Morten Olsen (c) |
| DF | 5 | Ivan Nielsen |
| DF | 12 | Jens Jørn Bertelsen |
| MF | 6 | Søren Lerby |
| MF | 8 | Jesper Olsen | | 80' |
| MF | 15 | Frank Arnesen | | 74' |
| MF | 11 | Michael Laudrup |
| FW | 9 | Klaus Berggreen | 84' |
| FW | 10 | Preben Elkjær |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 16 | Ole Qvist | | |
| DF | 2 | John Sivebæk | | 74' |
| MF | 20 | Jan Bartram | | |
| MF | 7 | Jan Mølby | | 80' |
| FW | 19 | John Eriksen | | |
| Manager: ||
| Sepp Piontek ||

### West Germany vs Scotland

| West Germany | Scotland |
| GK | 1 | Harald Schumacher (c) |
| DF | 2 | Hans-Peter Briegel | 63' |
| DF | 4 | Karlheinz Förster |
| DF | 6 | Norbert Eder |
| DF | 14 | Thomas Berthold |
| DF | 15 | Klaus Augenthaler |
| MF | 10 | Felix Magath |
| MF | 8 | Lothar Matthäus |
| MF | 7 | Pierre Littbarski | 75' |
| FW | 19 | Klaus Allofs |
| FW | 9 | Rudi Völler |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 17 | Ditmar Jakobs | 63' |
| FW | 11 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 75' |
| Manager: ||
| Franz Beckenbauer ||
| GK | 1 | Jim Leighton |
| DF | 2 | Richard Gough |
| DF | 6 | Willie Miller |
| DF | 14 | Dave Narey |
| DF | 3 | Maurice Malpas | 74' |
| MF | 9 | Eamonn Bannon | 44' | 74' |
| MF | 8 | Roy Aitken |
| MF | 7 | Gordon Strachan |
| MF | 4 | Graeme Souness (c) |
| MF | 13 | Steve Nicol | | 61' |
| FW | 17 | Steve Archibald | 30' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Andy Goram | | |
| | 10 | Jim Bett | | |
| MF | 11 | Paul McStay | | |
| MF | 16 | Frank McAvennie | | 61' |
| MF | 21 | Davie Cooper | | 74' |
| Manager: ||
| Alex Ferguson ||

### Denmark vs Uruguay

| Denmark | Uruguay |
| GK | 1 | Troels Rasmussen |
| DF | 3 | Søren Busk |
| DF | 4 | Morten Olsen (c) |
| DF | 5 | Ivan Nielsen | 7' |
| DF | 21 | Henrik Andersen |
| DF | 12 | Jens Jørn Bertelsen | | 57' |
| MF | 6 | Søren Lerby |
| MF | 15 | Frank Arnesen |
| MF | 11 | Michael Laudrup | | 81' |
| FW | 9 | Klaus Berggreen |
| FW | 10 | Preben Elkjær |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 22 | Lars Høgh | | |
| DF | 2 | John Sivebæk | | |
| MF | 7 | Jan Mølby | | 57' |
| MF | 8 | Jesper Olsen | | 81' |
| FW | 19 | John Eriksen | | |
| Manager: ||
| Sepp Piontek ||
| GK | 12 | Fernando Álvez |
| DF | 2 | Nelson Gutiérrez |
| DF | 3 | Eduardo Mario Acevedo (c) |
| DF | 4 | Víctor Diogo |
| DF | 6 | José Batista |
| MF | 5 | Miguel Bossio | 13' 19' |
| MF | 16 | Mario Saralegui |
| MF | 11 | Sergio Santín | | 57' |
| MF | 10 | Enzo Francescoli |
| FW | 9 | Jorge da Silva | 35' |
| FW | 7 | Antonio Alzamendi | | 57' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 22 | Celso Otero | | |
| DF | 14 | Darío Pereyra | | |
| MF | 17 | José Zalazar | | 57' |
| FW | 19 | Venancio Ramos | | 57' |
| FW | 21 | Wilmar Cabrera | | |
| Manager: ||
| Omar Borrás ||

### Denmark vs West Germany

| Denmark | West Germany |
| GK | 22 | Lars Høgh |
| DF | 2 | John Sivebæk |
| DF | 3 | Søren Busk |
| DF | 4 | Morten Olsen (c) |
| DF | 21 | Henrik Andersen |
| MF | 15 | Frank Arnesen | 36' 88' |
| MF | 7 | Jan Mølby |
| MF | 8 | Jesper Olsen | | 71' |
| MF | 6 | Søren Lerby |
| MF | 11 | Michael Laudrup |
| FW | 10 | Preben Elkjær | | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | John Eriksen | | 46' |
| FW | 14 | Allan Simonsen | | 71' |
| Manager: ||
| Sepp Piontek ||
| GK | 1 | Harald Schumacher (c) |
| DF | 4 | Karlheinz Förster | | 71' |
| DF | 5 | Matthias Herget |
| DF | 6 | Norbert Eder | 48' |
| DF | 14 | Thomas Berthold |
| DF | 17 | Ditmar Jakobs | 51' |
| DF | 3 | Andreas Brehme |
| MF | 21 | Wolfgang Rolff | | 46' |
| MF | 8 | Lothar Matthäus |
| FW | 19 | Klaus Allofs |
| FW | 9 | Rudi Völler |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Pierre Littbarski | | 46' |
| FW | 11 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | | 71' |
| Manager: ||
| Franz Beckenbauer ||

### Scotland vs Uruguay

| Scotland | Uruguay |
| GK | 1 | Jim Leighton |
| DF | 2 | Richard Gough |
| DF | 6 | Willie Miller (c) |
| DF | 14 | David Narey | 48' |
| DF | 15 | Arthur Albiston |
| MF | 7 | Gordon Strachan |
| MF | 8 | Roy Aitken |
| MF | 11 | Paul McStay |
| MF | 13 | Steve Nicol | 62' | 70' |
| FW | 18 | Graeme Sharp |
| FW | 20 | Paul Sturrock | | 70' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Andy Goram | | |
| MF | 10 | Jim Bett | | |
| FW | 19 | Charlie Nicholas | | 70' |
| MF | 21 | Davie Cooper | | 70' |
| FW | 17 | Steve Archibald | | |
| Manager: ||
| Alex Ferguson ||
| GK | 12 | Fernando Álvez | 87' |
| DF | 2 | Nelson Gutiérrez |
| DF | 3 | Eduardo Mario Acevedo |
| DF | 4 | Víctor Diogo | 72' |
| DF | 6 | José Batista | 1' |
| DF | 14 | Darío Pereyra |
| MF | 8 | Jorge Barrios (c) |
| MF | 11 | Sergio Santín |
| MF | 10 | Enzo Francescoli | | 84' |
| FW | 21 | Wilmar Cabrera | 32' |
| FW | 19 | Venancio Ramos | | 70' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 1 | Rodolfo Rodríguez | | |
| DF | 13 | César Vega | | |
| MF | 16 | Mario Saralegui | | 70' |
| FW | 7 | Antonio Alzamendi | | 84' |
| FW | 9 | Jorge da Silva | | |
| Manager: ||
| Omar Borrás ||