Germany
thrashed 10-man Scotland 5-1 as the Euro 2024 hosts kicked off the tournament
in style in Munich on Friday, the start of a journey they hope culminates in a
record fourth continental title.
Florian
Wirtz and Jamal Musiala scored inside the opening 20 minutes in Munich and Kai
Havertz added a third from the spot before half-time after Ryan Porteous was
sent off for a two-footed challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.
Florian
Wirtz struck the opening goal 10 minutes in and Jamal Musiala soon doubled
Germany’s lead with an emphatic finish.
A greatly
awaited night for Scotland went from bad to worse before half-time when Ryan
Porteous was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Ilkay Gundogan, with Kai
Havertz tucking away the resulting penalty.
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.
A Poor start for Scotland
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.
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.
Scotland
tried to limit the damage in the second half, but there was no stopping
Fuellkrug’s thumping drive into the top corner within a few minutes of his
introduction as a replacement for Havertz.
Fuellkrug
had the ball in the net a second time, but fortunately for Scotland they were
spared further misery when he was ruled offside.
The only
bright spot for Scotland came three minutes from time as Ruediger inadvertently
diverted Scott McKenna’s header past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
But there
was still more punishment to come as substitute Can curled home from 20 yards
right at the death to cap a glorious night for the Germans.
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