Germany ventured as the host nation into the Euro 2024 Championships. They started the first match of the tournament which is also their first game against Scotland. The Germans came in prepared, using their best lineup with the most in-form stars on the pitch.
They had the likes of Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan marshaling the midfield. Whilst their frontline had the sensational Jamal Musiala, in form Florian Wirtz and Arsenal star Kai Havertz. Germany also had their backline studded with stars. From Real Madrid star defender Antonio Rudiger to Bayer Leverkusen’s own Jonathan Tah.
Although their game against Scotland was anticipated to be a tricky one, Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala stood out, helping Germany edge past the Scots without breaking a sweat.
Jamal Musiala Shines Against Scotland
Almost every German player had a 5-star performance in the game. Toni Kroos had his passes hitting the right spot. Gundogan had his beautiful runs and interplay with the forwards.
He and Kroos also did well in controlling the game tempo. Wirtz, Harvetz, and Kimmich also had a stellar performance. However, Jamal Musiala was unplayable.
The Bayern Star had every Scottish player chasing their tails. He moved the ball so quickly that it took a foul to dispossess him. Musiala was all over the pitch terrorising the Scots. He also created a couple of chances that could have led to a goal.
He had a fantastic goal to show for it, and also a near-assist situation. In all the 21-year-old was a menace. The Bayern star proved himself to be a player worthy of watching in this tournament.
Jamal Musiala Stats vs Scotland
- 100% pass accuracy
- Most take-ons completed (5)
- Player of the match
- 1 Goal
- 3 Ball recoveries
- 5 Successful dribbles
- 6 Touches in opposition box
- 8 Attempted take-ons
- 9/15 Duels won
- 32/32 Passes completed
- 59 Touches
- 60% Total duels won
- Most fouls won (2)
- Most Tackles won (2)
Recap of Germany’s win
The First match of the Euro Tournament started a bit slow. Scotland looked to keep a solid defensive shape. This allowed the Germans to navigate around with passes without getting many chances in the first 10 minutes.
Moreover, Toni Kroos had a wing-switching pass to Kimmich on the right flank. The pass had defeated an ample number of Scottish players. This gave Kimmich the freedom to drive and square a neat pass to Wirtz. The Leverkusen star wasted no time in taking a one-time shot that beat the keeper. Although Gunn had a mild save to it, the shot ricocheted off the bar into the goal.
In response Scotland had a spell of possessions. However, they were quick to lose those possessions. Out of one they lost, which allowed Gundogan to maneuver and drive through their center half. Afterward, he released a line-breaking pass.
The Scottish players tried to quickly recover, but the pass had caught them off balance. At the end of the pass found Havertz who was almost free facing the keeper. The Scots recovered to keep him off. But the Arsenal star had something else in mind.
He turned back freeing Musiala who had few players on him. The 21-year-old wasted no time in smashing the ball into the roof of the net. The 3rd goal came as a penalty. Gundogan experienced a nasty foul from Porteuos in the box. It led to a penalty and a red card on the Scottish player. Harvetz wasted no time in slotting home the third from the spot.
Germany’s Tough Start To The Second Half
Germany returned in the second half with a bit of low intensity. However, Musiala was still a threat in the game. After, Germany’s coach brought in another fresh leg in the name of Fulkrug. It became worse for the Scots. Musiala had an untamed run near the box allowing him to free Gundogan. Germany’s captain however failed to keep the pass in his stride, allowing a loose ball to Fulkrug.
The Dortmund forward wasted no time in smashing the ball into the top corner. Scotland managed to pull one back. A free kick from Liverpool star Andy Robertson saw confusion in the German box. It eventually led to a Mckenna header being deflected into the net by Rudiger.
Yet Germany wasn’t done scoring. A last spell of possession saw Emre Can, who had come in for Toni Kroos, smash a close-range shot into the goal. Although Gunn had his hand on the hit, it wasn’t enough to stop the force of the shot.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Assessment Of The Game
“The signs from our players were brilliant,” Nagelsmann said. “They complained about the situation and did not want to concede a goal. So it’s a good sign that you’re still hungry when you’re 4-0 in the lead…It’s not that easy to have the first game in your home country. We looked back at the first games of the last tournaments that weren’t that good, so in the end we had a kind of pressure.”
“The first 15 minutes were very good. Since then, Scotland has been surprised, and kind of afraid. I was happy with the performance and then we stayed focused on the whole game. But especially in the first 20 minutes, we did brilliantly: good ball possession, good counter-pressing, very good aggression”
He continued how Scotland approached the game,
“I was kind of surprised that Scotland were not that aggressive in the first 20 minutes. I think they were surprised by our ball possession; it was concentrated. They felt that we had a lot of players in offense that can score goals and then they defend a bit deeper. They didn’t make the high press like they did sometimes in the qualifying games.”
Germany will face Hungary in their next game. The Germans will hope to continue their blitzing form. A win for them is an automatic qualification. However, Germany has been known to struggle against the Hungarians.
In Euro 2020, their draw against Hungary nearly hampered their qualifications. Now with new stars rising for Hungary, Germany will have to keep their heads up and put in the work to get a positive result.
About the Author
Ifeoluwa King is a lover of football and also a sports enthusiast. He’s been a football fan for 20 years. Pick any topic in the world of football and sports, and you’ll find him there. For more information about him and more of his awesome content, you can visit his X (Twitter) handle: @kng7.
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