EURO 2024 is set to begin with an exciting match between hosts Germany and Scotland in Munich on Friday night. The winner of this match will have a great chance of advancing to the knockout round, adding to the pressure on both teams. Germany enters the match as the clear favorites, carrying the weight of expectation that comes with being the host nation. This is Germany’s first time hosting a major tournament since the 2006 World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals.
However, Germany has struggled in recent years, being eliminated in the group stage of the previous two World Cups and facing a defeat against England at Euro 2020. Despite this, Germany has some standout players having impressive campaigns for their clubs this season, such as Mats Hummels, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz. With their contribution, Germany has a chance to go far in the tournament.
On the other hand, Scotland has been generating a lot of excitement surrounding their team. They had a superb qualifying campaign, finishing second in their group ahead of a strong Norway team. Scotland has also shown that they can compete with the best, defeating Spain 2-0 at Hampden in March last year. While Scott McTominay was the top goalscorer in qualifying, midfielders John McGinn and Billy Gilmour have been crucial to Scotland’s resurgence.
Germany qualified for the tournament as hosts but has played several top teams in preparation. They beat France and the Netherlands in March and drew with Ukraine 0-0 recently. Scotland also had a good qualifying campaign, losing only once in Spain. However, their form has dropped off since then, with defeats against Northern Ireland and the Netherlands.
In terms of team news, Germany will be without forward Serge Gnabry due to a torn hamstring, while Timo Werner is racing against time to be fit after a thigh injury. Scotland suffered setbacks with injuries to Lyndon Dykes and Lewis Ferguson. These absences will impact both teams’ strategies and lineup choices.
When it comes to key players, Germany has the exciting Florian Wirtz, who was a key part of Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning team this season. Scotland will rely on their midfield, with Gilmour and McGinn looking to control possession, and McTominay providing goalscoring opportunities. Captain Andy Robertson and Ryan Christie will also play crucial roles for Scotland.
In head-to-head matchups, Germany has the advantage, winning eight out of 17 games against Scotland. Their most recent defeat against Scotland was in 1999. Germany has also won their last three meetings with Scotland, both home and away, during the qualifying matches for Euro 2016.
Based on recent performances and the advantage of playing at home, Germany is predicted to come out on top in this match. A 2-0 victory for Germany is expected. The match will take place on Friday, June 14, at 8 pm BST at the Allianz Arena in Munich. It will be broadcasted live on ITV1 and can be streamed through the ITV X app. The game is free to watch on ITV1 with a valid TV license.