Euro 2024 gets underway in Germany on Friday with the host battering Scotland on a historical night, under the lights in Munich.
Host and favourite Germany kickoff their UEFA European Championship campaign in historical fashion after ousting a sorry Scotland in a five star performance in Berlin.
Die Mannschaft head into the game as the overwhelming favourite and with history on their side. They managed to make a multiple more history in the route.
Anchor of the team Julian Nagelsmann became the youngest manager in a UEFA European Championship match at the age of 36 years and 327 days while the nation’s starting XI on the night was their oldest in a competitive match since in the 2000 Euros against Romania.
Germany had not lost an opening game in a major tournament, whenever they’ve been involved in the curtain raiser and the team was eager to make a good impression, having suffered group exit in their previous two outings in major tournaments.
Scotland did not much going for them aside from qualifying for the tournament back-to-back after missing out since 1996, they have never beaten Germany in a competitive meeting, losing six and drawing two in eight meetings before Friday night.
The run would be extended to nine on the night as their cookies started to crumble very early, with Germany starting the game in a hungry and ambitious fashion in front of thousands of home supporters in the Fußball Arena in Munich.
How it happened in the Euro 2024 opener
Domineering Germany punishes Scotland
If there was any doubt about Germany beating Scotland in this fixture, it was all put to bed in the early minutes of the contest as the host continually overwhelmed their opponent.
Florian Wirtz opened the scoring in the tenth minute to become the youngest player to score the opening goal in a UEFA Euro match in history, while also claiming Germany’s youngest goalscorer record in a major tournament from the hands of Kai Havertz.
It was a beautiful goal that sent the stadium into frenzy. Kimmich, the provider made a great run to the edge of the area after the ball was spread out wide to him by Toni Kroos.
The Bayern Munich midfielder, playing at right-back found Wirtz on the edge of the Scotland box with a low pass, and the Bundesliga player of the season applied the finish for his 20th goal of the season across all competitions.
Nine minutes later, the host doubled their lead after another scintillating attacking move, which ended with Kai Havertz passing it to Jamal Musiala, who fired a ferocious shot into the top corner for his third international goal and his first in a major tournament finals.
With that second goal, Germany became the first nation to have two players aged 21 or under score in the same European Championship match in history.
It went from bad to worse for Scotland just before the interval, as Ryan Porteus was sent off with a straight red card following a reckless tackle on Ilkay Gundogan in the penalty box.
Kai Havertz dispatched the resulting penalty to extend Germany’s lead as the team scored 3+ goals in the first-half of a match since last doing so in a 7-1 win over Latvia in June 2021.
The players headed into the half-time break with one team enjoying the game while the other was enduring it. The prospect of another 45 minutes and with 10 men against a domineering Germany side must have been a scary thought for Steve Clarke.
However, it took Germany eight minutes after the hour mark before adding to their lead, when substitute Niklas Fullkrug scored to make it 4-0 five minutes after coming on to replace Kai Havertz.
Despite finishing the game without a shot on target, Scotland was handed an unusual consolation as Scott McKenna’s header, being their second touch in the opposition box all game came off Antonio Rudiger and into Germany’s net in the 87th minute.
There was more time for Emre Can to add a fifth for Germany, who achieves the record of the biggest win in the curtain raiser of UEFA European Championship history.
Consequences of Scotland poor display
Euro 2024 was deemed Scotland’s chance to make history of their own by making it out of the group stage, which will be their first-ever in a major tournament. Clarke’s side have made the worst start possible in Germany.
On multiple times the country has been eliminated from major tournament on goal difference, and the result in Munich on the opening night is an evidence that the lessons have not been learnt.
Germany extended their record for most win in the tournament’s historiy with their 28th, meaning they’ll remain on top nevertheless what happpens come the end of Euro 2024 as no nation will have more than they’ve had.
The country has reached at least the semi finals in all three major international tournaments played on their home soil and in their first European Championship as a unified nation, they’ll be looking to win their fourth title.
Now unbeaten in five games since the return of Toni Kroos while winning all four the former Real Madrid man has played in. In his final tournament before hanging his boots, Kroos will look to finish on a high with the national team.
Alongside Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and plenty others, Germany has a real chance of going all the way on home soil, and their show of dominance all but sent a strong message to other hopefuls in the tournament.
Their next game will see them Hungary on Wednesday while on the same day Scotland will look to get their Euro 2024 campaign back on track in a meeting with Switzerland.
