Players in action during the World Cup Group C match between France and Denmark. AFPMoscow: The goals finally dried up at this thrilling World Cup on Tuesday when a flat France and dull Denmark played 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.
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentine striker Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Nigeria. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo (lower) celebrates his goal with Lionel Messi. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates scoring their second goal with Lionel Messi. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo, Lionel Messi and Gabriel Mercado celebrate after the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates scoring their second goal with Lionel Messi and teammates. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates their second goal with Cristian Pavon. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo scores their second goal as Nigeria's Francis Uzoho looks on. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates their second goal with coach Jorge Sampaoli. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Marcos Rojo celebrates his goal against Nigeria at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Nigeria's Victor Moses celebrates scoring a penalty to equalise during the World Cup Group D match between Nigeria and Argentina at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates his goal against Nigeria at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi (left) celebrates his goal against Nigeria and Argentina at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Nigeria at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi controls the ball during the World Cup Group D match at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Former Argentina forward Diego Maradona (centre) celebrates the opening goal against Nigeria at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Former Argentina player Diego Maradona celebrates Messi's goal against Nigeria at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Nigeria vs Argentina
Argentina's Lionel Messi (left) and Nigeria's Brian Idowu vie for the ball during the World Cup Group D match between Nigeria and Argentina at the Saint Petersburg Stadium. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Croatia's Ivan Perisic celebrates scoring their second goal with Josip Pivaric. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Croatia's Tin Jedvaj, Dejan Lovren and Filip Bradaric applaud fans after the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Croatia's Ivan Perisic celebrates scoring their second goal with Josip Pivaric and Milan Badelj. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Iceland's Johann Berg Gudmundsson reacts after the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Iceland's Gylfi Sigurdsson (right) celebrates with Johann Gudmundsson after scoring a goal against Croatia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Croatia's Milan Badelj (2nd left) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Iceland at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Croatia's Ivan Perisic celebrates after scoring his team's second against Iceland and Croatia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Iceland's Alfred Finnbogason (left) vies with Croatia's Vedran Corluka during the World Cup Group D match at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Croatia vs Iceland
Couple kiss ahead of the World Cup Group D match between Iceland and Croatia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Kylian Mbappe in action. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France coach Didier Deschamps during the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Kylian Mbappe in action with Denmark's Andreas Christensen and Kasper Dolberg. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Olivier Giroud and Denmark's Simon Kjaer. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Kylian Mbappe in action with Denmark's Simon Kjaer and Mathias Jorgensen. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Nabil Fekir (left) replaces France's Antoine Griezmann during the World Cup Group C match between Denmark and France at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Antoine Griezmann fouled by Denmark's Mathias Jorgensen (left) during the World Cup Group C match between Denmark and France at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
Denmark's Simon Kjaer in action. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
Denmark's Thomas Delaney speaking to referee Sandro Ricci after sustaining an injury. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
Denmark's Andreas Cornelius vies for the header with France's Presnel Kimpembe (right) during the World Cup Group C match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Paul Pogba's mother Weo (right) and Bolivian girlfriend Maria Saues (left) await the World Cup Group C match between Denmark and France at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
A football fan looks on before the World Cup Group C match between Denmark and France at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France and Denmark players at half time. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
France's Olivier Giroud shoots at goal. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
Denmark's Mathias Jorgensen is shown a yellow card by referee Sandro Ricci. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Denmark vs France
Denmark's Mathias Jorgensen is shown a yellow card by referee Sandro Ricci. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia's Tim Cahill looks dejected after the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia's Mathew Leckie in action with Peru's Miguel Trauco. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Peru's Christian Cueva in action with Australia's Tomi Juric. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia's Mathew Ryan reacts after the match. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Peru's Paolo Guerrero celebrates after scoring his team's second goal against Australia at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on June 26, 2018. / AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Peru's Andre Carrillo (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal against Australia at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on June 26, 2018. AFP
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia's Mathew Leckie in action with Peru's Edison Flores. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Peru's Christian Cueva in action with Australia's Trent Sainsbury. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia fans at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Peru's Miguel Trauco in action with Australia's Mathew Leckie. Reuters
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FIFA World Cup: Australia vs Peru
Australia's Tomas Rogic (left) vies for the ball with Peru's Christian Cueva during the World Cup Group C match at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on June 26, 2018. AFP
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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.
The writing had been was on the wall early in the capital, with the play dominated by industry rather than any kind of inspiration.
The Danes built a pattern of firing balls deep before quickly tracking back, while the French kept possession well but struggled throughout with the final ball.
Antoine Griezmann, surprisingly not among the six players rested by Didier Deschamps for this match, looked listless as he sought to probe the Danish defence for a way through.
At times it seemed as though he was on a different wavelength to his teammates, who failed to spot his runs or find the spaces Griezmann played into.
It took more than half an hour before there was any real chance, and then Ousmane Dembele pushed his right foot shot wide of the goal - and of Kasper Schmeichel's overly elaborate dive.
Deschamps brought Benjamin Mendy on for Lucas Hernandez just after half time, but he might have made a raft of changes as the French continually misfired.
Jeers and whistles swirled around the frustrated crowd as both sides failed time after time to create any real opportunities, the Danes continuing to defend deep and the French rarely breaking out of a trot.
Deschamps substituted Griezmann in the 68th minute for Nabil Fekir, but it was a case of plus ca change.
Few teams will fear either side on the back of this performance but surely there will be better days ahead for both nations when the reality of sudden-death forces their hands.
Their next opponents will be determined later on Tuesday when Nigeria play Argentina in Saint Petersburg, and Iceland face Croatia in Rostov-on-Don.
