The 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) got off to an entertaining start as hosts Germany put on a dominant display, cruising to a convincing 5-1 victory over Scotland in the competition’s opening game at the Munich Football Arena on Friday, June 14th.
In the game that was live on NBS Sport, the hosts wasted no time setting the tone, with Florian Wirtz breaking the deadlock just 10 minutes into the match with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala quickly doubled Germany’s lead just 9 minutes later, courtesy of an assist from Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, to put the home side firmly in control.
Things went from bad to worse for the Scots when defender Ryan Porteous was sent off just before the break for a nasty foul on Ilkay Gundogan, and Kai Havertz converted the resulting penalty to give Germany a 3-0 advantage at halftime.
The second half saw Germany continue their relentless start to the tournament, with substitute Niclas Fullkrug adding a fourth goal in the 68th minute.
Another substitute Leroy Sane, who came on for Florian Witz missed a couple of chances to give the Germans a 5-goal cushion before Nicklas Fullkrug’s second goal for the night was ruled out by VAR for being offside in the 76th minute.
Scotland managed to pull one back late on in the 87th minute through an own goal by Antonio Rudiger, from a deflected header from Scott McKenna.
However, Emre Can restored the four-goal cushion in stoppage time to seal a comprehensive victory for the tournament hosts. 5-1 it ended in favour of Germany.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men showcased their attacking prowess, delivering a performance that has now set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
The result is the largest margin of victory in a Euro opener, and will undoubtedly send a strong message to the rest of the contenders.
Germany will look to build on this momentum when they take on Hungary in Stuttgart on Wednesday, while Scotland will be eager to bounce back against Switzerland in Cologne.
