Germany 5-1 Scotland
Germany got their Euro 2024 campaign up and running on Friday night, thanks to a thumping win over Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Opening matches are sometimes a little cagey but this one was anything but, as the hosts ripped the sorry Scots to pieces.
Bundesliga player of the Year Florian Wirtz scored an early opener, and Jamal Musiala doubled the lead soon after before Kai Havertz made it 3-0 from the penalty spot just before the break.
Germany continued to dominate in the second half, and substitute Niclas Fullkrug smashed in a fourth, and there was even something for the Tartan Army to cheer as Anton Rudiger scored a late own goal.
There was still time for Emre Can to round off a great night for the hosts as he curled in a superb injury-time strike. Germany have set down a marker.
Highlights of the game
There are huge expectations on the young shoulders of Wirtz, and he burst through in the very first minute. But as Angus Gunn blocked his effort, the offside flag went up.
But that quick encounter set the tone for the play.
The young Bayer Leverkusen man lit up the Euros with a stunning goal with just 10 minutes on the clock. Germany had tried a few balls out to Joshua Kimmich on the right, and this time he had all the time he needed to square to Wirtz on the edge of the area and he fired a low shot into the corner.
It wasn’t the start the Scots wanted, and things got worse just nine minutes later when the hosts struck again with another beautiful goal.
Ilkay Gundogan slipped a ball through to Kai Havertz, and he pulled it back for Jamal Musiala, who fired a beauty into the roof of the net to make it 2-0. Take a glance at the Euro 2024 highlights for that goal because it’s well worth another look.
When Ryan Christie tripped Musiala and the ref pointed to the spot, it looked like game over. But VAR adjudged the foul to be outside the penalty area, and Gunn saved Havertz’ free-kick.
And then, two minutes before the break, the game really was over. Ryan Porteus had to make a tackle to stop Gundogan scoring a tap in, but he went right through the Barcelona man and, as well as Havertz slotting home the spot-kick, the Scotland defender received a straight red card.
The second half, 11 against 10, was attack against defence, and Gunn pushed aside a long-range effort from Antonio Rudiger, while Wirtz had a great chance to make it 4-0 but he fired over from close range.
Julian Nageslmann made a change, pulling Havertz and bringing on Niclas Fullkrug, and the Dortmund striker soon scored his 12th goal in 17 internationals, picking up a back heel from Gundogan and smashing his shot into the top corner. And two minutes later Fullkrug had the ball in the net again but he was marginally offside.
This was as one-sided game as you could imagine, but Germany have struggled to keep clean sheets and Rudiger headed into his own net with Scotland’s only effort on target.
Can’s late curler put the icing on the cake, and Germany picked up a near perfect result.
Key statistics
My SBOTOP mate James tips Germany to win the tournament, and the Euro 2024 betting odds back him up, placing the hosts in the top three contenders alongside England and France.
And on this evidence, James has a point as the hosts totally dominated, with 20 shots to one, and 10 to 0 on target.
At 21 years of age, Wirtz is the youngest to score the opening goal at the Euros, and he’s also the youngest German player ever to score in the tournament.
Germany are unbeaten in 2024 with four wins, while Scotland only have one win in six this year, and that against the minnows of Gibraltar.
With all due respect to the Islanders, Clarke’s team faces much tougher opposition in the coming week.
What’s next?
The other match in Group A, Hungary vs Switzerland, kicks off on Saturday at 2pm local time, and that’s a game which could go a long way towards deciding who will qualify for the knockout phase alongside, it’s fair to say, Germany.
Then Nagelsmann’s team will take on the Magyars on Wednesday, while Scotland will brave a clash with Switzerland.
But before all that there’s some mouthwatering action to look forward to over the weekend, as highly fancied Spain open their account against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, and England launch their campaign with a tricky test against Serbia on Sunday.
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