Scotland were no match for Germany as the rampant Euro 2024 hosts made a dream start to the tournament on Friday.
Florian Wirtz got the ball rolling in the 10th minute, becoming the youngest scorer of an opening goal at the European Championships in the tournament’s history.
The excellent Jamal Musiala soon made it 2-0, rifling home after he was set up by Kai Havertz inside the area.
In Wirtz (21 years, 42 days) and Musiala (21 years, 109 days), Germany became the first team in European Championship history to have two players aged 21 or younger score in the same match.
Havertz turned scorer when he slotted in from the penalty spot before half-time, with Scotland defender Ryan Porteous seeing red for a lunge on Ilkay Gundogan, after a VAR review.
Porteous became the second Scottish player sent off at a major tournament, after Craig Burley in the 1998 World Cup against Morocco.
It is the first time a player has been sent off in the opening game of the Euros since 2012, when both Sokratis (Greece) and Wojciech Szczesny (Poland) were dismissed in a 1-1 draw.
Havertz’s successfully converted spot-kick also ensured Germany went in at half-time 3-0 up – it is just the third time in European Championship history a team has scored three goals in the first half of a game, along with France vs Belgium in 1984 (3-0 at half-time) and France vs Iceland in 2016 (4-0 at half-time).
Germany made their numerical advantage count to go on and secure the biggest win by a host nation in their opening match at a European Championship tournament, and their biggest victory ever at the Euros, with an own goal from Antonio Rudiger the only negative.
Indeed, that own goal was kind to Scotland, who had only one shot, which they failed to get on target, and mustered an xG of only 0.01, in comparison to Germany’s 2.17.
It marks the first time Scotland have failed to have a shot on target in a major tournament match since 1992, when they faced the Netherlands in the Euros.
Steve Clarke’s team put in a sorry performance, and must now pick themselves up to face Switzerland. They will go into that match on Wednesday on the back of suffering their heaviest defeat at a major tournament since they lost 7-0 to Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup.
Germany, meanwhile, already have one foot in the knockouts, and could get the job done by beating Hungary.
1 – Tonight’s game between Germany and Scotland was the first match in European Championship history to see a red card, a penalty scored and an own goal scored. Box-office. pic.twitter.com/qS1I7WwGZS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 14, 2024
Musiala really was sensational, completing five of his eight dribble attempts while also having six touches in the opponent’s box – four more than Scotland managed altogether.
And finally, this match was the first match in European Championship history to see a red card, a penalty scored and an own goal scored.
Euro 2024 has started in style, even if Scotland fans will be in a hurry to forget this result.
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