10 men were reduced to nothing as Germany easily defeated Scotland 5-1 as the hosts of Euro 2024 began the tournament in Munich on Friday, hoping to win a record fourth continental title. Florian Wirtz opened the scoring 10 minutes in, and Jamal Musiala quickly doubled Germany’s lead with a forceful finish. The much-anticipated night for Scotland took a turn for the worse just before halftime when Ryan Porteous was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Ilkay Gundogan. Kai Havertz converted the penalty that resulted.
Niclas Fuellkrug powered in a fourth midway through the second half after coming on as a substitute and not even a late own goal from Antonio Ruediger could SPOil an otherwise perfect start to the campaign for Germany.
There was even time for Emre Can to add a fifth goal with the final kick of the game.
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Disastrous Scottish start
Scotland’s defender #05 Grant Hanley reacts during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group A football match between Germany and Scotland at the Munich Football Arena in Munich on June 14, 2024. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP.
Scotland could surely not have envisioned such a disastrous beginning, but they must regroup quickly with games to come in Group A against Switzerland and Hungary.
After three successive failures at major tournaments, including back-to-back group stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, this was a strong statement of intent from an experienced Germany side.
It is Germany’s first men’s major tournament as hosts since the 2006 World Cup, and they are looking to recreate the magic that helped rekindle the passion for the national team after a spell in the international doldrums.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had SPOken of his players’ hunger to atone for the failures of recent times, with the outlook improving and optimism gradually increasing since his appointment in September.
His counterpart Steve Clarke on the other hand urged Scotland to “fear no one” going into the country’s second straight Euros after more than two decades in the international wilderness.
Almost right away Germany took the game to a Scotland side who arrived in Munich with only one win from their past nine matches — an unimpressive 2-0 victory over lowly Gibraltar last week.
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn alertly blocked from an offside Wirtz, but Germany did not wait long in grasping the match by the scruff of the neck.
Toni Kroos, coaxed out of his Germany retirement earlier this year, pinged a ball out to Joshua Kimmich, who teed up Wirtz to sweep in from the edge of the area as Gunn could only help the shot in via the post.
Kroos will hang up his boots for good after the tournament, but with him and Gundogan running the Germany midfield they bring a level of knowledge and maturity few can match.
Gundogan threaded a pass through the Scotland defence to Havertz, who worked it back towards Musiala, the Bayern Munich attacker created himself space to crash a strike into the roof of the net.
Germany were initially awarded a penalty as Musiala went down in a heap after getting caught between Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney, but referee Clement Turpin deemed the foul occurred outside the area after consulting the touchline monitor.
That merely delayed Germany’s third goal, which did eventually come from the SPOt following another VAR review that led to Porteous being sent off for a crude challenge on Gundogan, who was chopped down attempting to convert the rebound from his own header.
Havertz calmly sent Gunn the wrong way and drained any remaining optimism from Scotland’s once boisterous and sizeable travelling contingent of supporters.
Despite Scotland’s best efforts to contain the damage in the second half, Fuellkrug’s thunderous drive into the upper corner just minutes after he replaced Havertz was unstoppable.
Fuellkrug found the back of the net twice, but thankfully Scotland were saved more suffering when he was adjudged offside.
Three minutes from time, Ruediger unintentionally redirected Scott McKenna’s header past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, giving Scotland’s only brilliant moment.
To cap off an incredible night for the Germans, substitute Can curled home from 20 yards right at the end. But there was still more pain to come.
