Germany kicked off the Euro 2024 tournament with a resounding 5-1 victory over Scotland at the Allianz Arena on Friday. Goals from Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala in the first half set the tone for the host nation’s triumph.
Germany’s captain, İlkay Gündoğan, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “That’s exactly the way we wanted to start,” he told German broadcaster ZDF. The victory was crucial for boosting the team’s confidence after disappointing performances in previous major tournaments.
The match started brightly for Germany, with Wirtz scoring the opening goal in the 10th minute. Joshua Kimmich set up the play with a brilliant crossfield lob to Toni Kroos, who then assisted Wirtz. Scotland’s goalkeeper, Angus Gunn, got a hand to the shot but could not prevent it from going in.
Germany continued to dominate, and Musiala doubled the lead nine minutes later. Gündoğan passed the ball to Kai Havertz, who held it up in the penalty area before finding Musiala, who fired it into the net.
The first half ended poorly for Scotland as defender Ryan Porteous received a red card for a foul on Gündoğan, resulting in a penalty. Havertz converted the penalty, making it 3-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Germany continued their onslaught. Substitute Niclas Füllkrug scored with a powerful shot, and Emre Can added another goal to complete the 5-1 rout. Scotland’s only goal came late in the match when a header from Kieran McKenna deflected off Germany’s Antonio Rüdiger into the net.
Despite the loss, Scotland’s fans, known as the Tartan Army, remained hopeful. They will need to improve their performance against Hungary and Switzerland to advance from Group A and reach the knockout stages for the first time.
Germany’s convincing win has ignited excitement and optimism among their supporters, setting a high standard for the rest of the tournament.
