Euro 2024 started with a bang in Munich. Check out the best facts, statistics and Opta data from the game with our Germany vs Scotland stats page.
Germany’s great fear had been yet more disappointment. After thoroughly underwhelming campaigns at three successive major men’s international tournaments, falling foul of expectations in their first match as Euro 2024 hosts would’ve had fans bemoaning how nothing’s changed.
While a 5-1 defeat of a far inferior Scotland side may not in isolation indicate a guaranteed run deep into the tournament, the manner of the performance coupled with the exploits of a few individuals provided supporters with all they needed from Matchday 1: promise.
There remains a long way to go if Germany are to be the first solo host nation to win the European Championship since France in 1984, but let’s not forget how disappointing they’ve been on the big stage in recent years.
They failed to make it out of their group at each of the last two World Cups, and they were eliminated in the last 16 by England at Euro 2020; they’ve not won a knockout match in a major international tournament since Euro 2016.
Much has changed in the Nationalelf since Qatar 2022, though, from coaching staff to players. Retaining faith in certain older players had been seen by some as key to Germany’s continued underachievement, and thus Julian Nagelsmann’s team has a more youthful, vibrant aura to it.
The supporting cast may change over the next decade, but if there’s one thing Friday’s victory highlighted it’s that Germany’s future is here. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala have arrived.
While Musiala appeared in Qatar and Wirtz may well have featured too were it not for a serious knee injury, this was the first time they’d linked up at a major tournament and they lived up to the pre-tournament hype.
Musiala dazzled with his quick feet, dancing around and riding agricultural challenges from Scottish defenders. A player boasting such elegance, there were times when Scotland just couldn’t get near him, so effortless he could spin away from markers.
Wirtz was similarly smooth, looking unperturbed when those meaty tackles came in from the Scottish midfield and gliding around pitch, finding clever pockets of space as he exuded the confidence of a man who was central to Bayer Leverkusen’s historic double-winning campaign.
But there was so much more to both than just looking the part; crucially they were also decisive. Perhaps not leaders in a conventional sense, but they stepped up and led by example thanks to their sheer talent.
Wirtz was the first to make his presence known, truly announcing himself on the international stage. He found space just outside the Scotland area in the 10th minute, and after being picked out by a squared pass from Joshua Kimmich, his first-time effort made its way in off the palm of Angus Gunn.
Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Florian Wirtz – the three Germans to score the opening goal of a European Championship. The Leverkusen star joined esteemed company but was younger than both of those Germany greats were when they got their goals.
In fact, it made him Germany’s youngest (21 years, 42 days) Euros scorer full stop; the second? That would be Musiala (21y, 109d), the provider of their second goal of the day just nine minutes later. But where Wirtz’s strike could be attributed to some suspect goalkeeping, Musiala’s was just pure quality.
Germany sliced through Scotland as Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan linked up in the middle, the latter pretty much taking the whole midfield out of the game with a clever first touch before feeding Kai Havertz into the left side of the box. Havertz cut back to Musiala, whose own first touch was something to behold, evading a last-ditch tackle and then smashing into the roof of the net as Gunn was rendered helpless.
Havertz’s penalty on the stroke of half-time – given for Ryan Porteous’ crude, red card-yielding lunge on Gündogan – put the game beyond 10-man Scotland, but Germany’s young schemers continued to plague Scotland early in the second half.
Wirtz hammered over when a goal looked almost certain; Musiala’s devilish, explosive runs remained a feature. He even played a part – fortuitous as it was – in Niclas Füllkrug’s emphatic effort for 4-0, with the ball falling kindly for the striker after the youngster had been tackled.
After Wirtz was applauded off just after the hour, Musiala departed a little later to a standing ovation; Munich was on its feet in appreciation for the new face of their national team.
Musiala left the pitch having attempted eight dribbles and completing five; no one else even attempted four, while it took him to 24 across Euros and World Cup games since making his international debut, a figure only Kylian Mbappé (28) can better.
The class of Gündogan and Kroos – who misplaced just one of his 102 passes – in midfield also stood out, and Germany’s overall comfort in the face of real expectation was worthy of the praise it’ll attract, especially after Emre Can’s late curler capped a five-star display in the wake of Antonio Rüdiger’s unfortunate own goal.
After all, that made it Germany’s biggest ever win at the Euros and Scotland’s heaviest defeat at a major tournament since losing 7-0 to Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup. Further to that, it was the first time since 1992 that Scotland failed to register a shot on target in a tournament game. In short, this wasn’t insignificant.
But at the start of a campaign that was hoped would showcase a new Germany, it was the playfulness of Wirtz and particularly Musiala that left everyone wanting more.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Germany vs Scotland stats from their Euro 2024 Group A clash at Fußball Arena München.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own post-match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Germany vs Scotland: Post-Match Facts
- Germany enjoyed the biggest win by a host nation in their opening match at a European Championship tournament, and their biggest victory ever at the Euros.
- Scotland failed to have a single shot on target in a match at a major tournament for the first time since Euro 1992 against the Netherlands. Their goal tonight came via an Antonio Rüdiger own goal.
- At the age of 21 years and 42 days, Florian Wirtz became both the youngest player to score for Germany at the European Championship, and the youngest player to score the opening goal of a Euros tournament.
- Scotland have suffered their heaviest defeat at a major international tournament since losing 7-0 to Uruguay at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
- In Florian Wirtz (21 years, 42 days) and Jamal Musiala (21 years, 109 days), Germany were the first nation in European Championship history to have two players aged 21 or younger score in the same match.
- Scotland conceded five goals in a match for the first time since a friendly v USA in May 2012 (1-5), and first in a competitive match since November 2003 in a Euro qualifier v Netherlands (0-6).
- Germany went in at half-time 3-0 up – it was just the third time in European Championship history a team had scored three goals in the first half of a game, along with France vs Belgium in 1984 (3-0 at HT) and France vs Iceland in 2016 (4-0 at HT).
- Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann enjoyed a 5-1 victory in his first ever match at the Euros, only the second manager to win by 4+ goals in his first game at the European Championship, along with Lars Lagerbäck in 2004 (Sweden 5-0 Bulgaria).
- Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made his 35th appearance at a major international tournament, equalling the record by a European goalkeeper, with Hugo Lloris also playing 35 games at the Euros + World Cup combined for France.
- Scotland defender Ryan Porteous became the second Scottish player sent off at a major tournament, along with Craig Burley in the 1998 World Cup against Morocco. It was the first time there’d been a sending off in the opening game of the Euros since 2012, when both Sokratis (Greece) and Wojciech Szczesny (Poland) were sent off in the 1-1 draw between Poland and Greece.
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