By: Jeremy Sun

On June 14, 2024, Germany played against Scotland in the opening soccer match of the Euro Cup 2024 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. This was the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Germany started the first half of the game strongly, with Florian Wirtz scoring the opening goal from the top of the penalty box within the first ten minutes. Ten minutes later, Jamal Musiala added another goal from inside the penalty box, assisted by Kai Havertz. Kai Havertz then hammered in the third goal with a penalty kick after being fouled by Ryan Porteous, extending Germany’s lead to 3-0. Ryan Porteous received a red card for his foul on Kai Havertz, resulting in his dismissal from the pitch and reducing Scotland to 10 players just before halftime.

In the second half, substitute Niclas Füllkrug fired home Germany’s fourth goal in the 67th minute, extending their lead to 4-0. Eight minutes later, in the 75th minute, Füllkrug appeared to score again, but the goal was disallowed for offside, keeping the score unchanged.

In the 86th minute, Scotland’s Scott McKenna took a free kick from midfield. The ball deflected off Germany’s Antonio Rüdiger and into the net for an own goal, prompting celebrations from Scotland fans. However, Scotland’s luck did not last long, as Germany’s Emre Can sealed the game with a final goal, securing a 5-1 victory for Germany.

With the loss, Scotland coach Steve Clarke disappointedly uttered, “Germany were outstanding and unfortunately we couldn’t match them. They ran away from us very quickly, didn’t give ourselves a foothold in the game. The end result was a disappointing one.”

The CBBC article titled ‘Scotland beaten by Germany in first Euro 2024 game’ notes, “Germany’s 5-1 result against Scotland is the biggest win by a host nation in their opening match at a European Championship tournament. It’s also Germany’s biggest victory ever at the Euros.”