Germany were always one of the favorites heading into the Euros this summer in their home country, playing in front of their very own fans in stadiums that were familiar to them. But their opening game saw a scoreline and a display that we don’t think anybody saw coming.
Germany beat the lads from Scotland with a thrashing in the opening match of the Euro 2024 tournament this past week, shocking fans who had made the trip to the stadium and those who were watching at home on the tele.
Scottish fans held their breath in the first few minutes of the game, as they came out strong and looked promising through the likes of Andy Robertson and McGinn. However, their anticipation soon turned to dread as the goals just kept coming in over the match.
Germany Thrashes Scotland with 5-1 Win
Being the host nation surely gives you some advantages, like increased confidence, home field advantage, and your home crowd there to support you. But that wasn’t the reason why Germany won their opening match against Scotland by an impressive scoreline of 5-1. No, it was the tactical decisions, team decisions, technical ability of the players, and overall persona of the team that helped them destroy the Scots in the premier of the tournament.
Germany has a great mix of players in their current squad, with ‘old dogs’ like Gundogan (one of the best players to ever be at Manchester City during his prime days) and Toni Kroos (the Real Madrid man who just announced his retirement from football), with the ‘young guns’ like Kai Havertz (the ex-Chelsea man who has found his form at Arsenal with goals and assists).
Other key players, like Joshua Kimmich who plays for Bayern Munich with Harry Kane, are pivotal in the Euros games. Kimmich helped thread a pass to Toni Kroos through a sea of men, followed by a square ball from Kroos that led to one of the goal-scoring moments.
Another moment in the game that had the German fans out of their seats and cheering came from a great run from Havertz to the end line, cut back to the on-coming forward Musiala, who then found the back of the net with a rocket shot that the keeper could only watch.
It was moments like this that really set the tone that Germany was here to win – not just there to play. They dominated the game and had shots on goal, whereas Scotland had zero attempts on goal, zero shots on target, zero corners, and zero expected goals. That is an abysmal statistic that is hard to achieve.
Germany Going Forward
There were so many positives to take from the game, but the match was so one-sided it was hard to tell if this was a fluke or if this was what we can expect from the Germans going forward. Sure, Scotland was terrible, but Germany was also THAT good. Nagelsmann, the manager, is a smart man who knows how to adapt to other teams. He has veterans like Kroos and Kimmich who can link up together, help guide the team, and work their way through tough moments.
He also has Musiala, a young and electric player, and Wirtz, a speedy winger who can make things happen from nothing. The blend of young and old is great for the Germany side who hopes to make it to the finals of the Euros on their home soil.
Next up, they face off against Hungary on Wednesday in the second match of the group stage.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
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