When is it? How can you watch it? What are the starting line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA EURO 2024 Group A opener between Germany and Scotland.
Germany vs Scotland at a glance
When: Friday 14 June (21:00 CET kick-off) (16:00 Suriname time)
Where: Munich Football Arena
What: UEFA EURO 2024 Group A Matchday 1
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
What do you need to know?
After group stage exits in two of the last three major tournaments, Germany will hope to summon the spirit of the 2006 World Cup – when Jürgen Klinsmann’s hosts defied the odds to reach the semi-finals – as they go in search of a record-breaking fourth EURO triumph. Julian Nagelsmann did not get off to the best of starts after replacing Hansi Flick as coach last year, but wins against France and the Netherlands in March hint at a brighter future under the 36-year-old former Bayern boss. Victory in Munich would certainly raise hopes of a deep run into the tournament.
Hopes are certainly high in the Scotland camp after a sensational qualifying campaign that included victories over three-time winners Spain, Norway and Georgia. The first manager to guide the Tartan Army to back-to-back European Championships, Steve Clarke has built a settled squad and developed a system that brings out the best in the likes of Aston Villa captain John McGinn and Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who plundered seven goals in eight qualifying appearances. Can Clarke’s team cause another upset here?
Predicted line-ups
Germany: Neuer; Kimmich, Rüdiger, Tah, Mittelstädt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gündoğan, Wirtz; Havertz
Scotland: Gunn; Ralston, Porteous, Hendry, Tierney, Robertson; McTominay, Gilmour, McGregor, McGinn; Adams
Form guide
Germany
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WDWWLL
Scotland
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DWLLDD
Expert predictions
Phil Röber, Germany reporter
My gut feeling at past EUROs has not been entirely off (everyone thought I was crazy when I picked Portugal to win it in 2016) and it’s telling me Germany will have a good tournament. They have lost their opening match at the last three major tournaments, but I believe that streak will end in Munich. If Scotland play as aggressively as they did against the Netherlands in March, this opening game will set a high bar for the rest of the finals.
Alex O’Henley, Scotland reporter
Quite simply, this is the biggest game in a generation for Scotland. Not since they opened the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France have the Scots played a game of such magnitude. Craig Brown’s side more than matched Brazil on that occasion before a cruel own goal deprived them of a point. Some 26 years later, Clarke’s men would bite your hand off for any kind of result against the hosts in the opening match of EURO 2024.
What the coaches say
Julian Nagelsmann, Germany coach: “It’s only the second time Germany has hosted a European Championship. For the players, and for myself as a manager, to take part in a tournament on home soil is a unique opportunity. There is pressure involved, but more so joy. If we can see that joy on the pitch, then we will have a great tournament.”
Steve Clarke, Scotland coach: “The best way to look at the upcoming tournament is just to say that as long as we prepare as well as we can prepare, we go to the pitch and play as well as we can against whatever level of opponent we play against. As long as we can do that and compete as well as we can, we can leave the tournament with our head held high no matter whether we go out in the group stages or we get to the later stages.”
uefa.com/uero2024
Featured image: uefa.com/uero2024 | ermany and Scotland meet in the first match of the UEFA EURO 2024 in Group A on Friday 14 June
