MUNICH-. Germanyhost country of the Euro-2024, thrashed 5-1 Scotland this Friday in Munich, putting the finishing touch on the pitch to an exciting and festive opening day of the tournament.
Throughout the day, the fans took to the streets of the Bavarian city, and three hours before the opening whistle, the party gradually moved to the stands of the Bayern Munich fiefdom.
Less than half an hour before the opening whistle, a colorful opening ceremony took place, after which tribute was paid to the German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died on January 7.
His wife, Heidi Beckenbauer, presented the Henri Delauney trophy, escorted by two other legends of German football: Bernard Dietz, captain of the ‘Mannschaft’ during Euro 1980, and Jürgen Klinsmann, who wore the bracelet in the title won in 1996 .
Located in a corner of the stadium, the ‘Tartan Army’, the name of the Scottish fans, made their presence felt, surpassing the German public in decibels during the interpretation of the anthems. But despite the victory in the stands, Scotland was dominated on the pitch from the opening whistle, with a German team focused on the goal defended by Angus Gunn.
Scorers of all ages
Florian Wirtz, one of the sensations of the season in the Bundesliga, only took 10 minutes to score the first goal of the championship, bringing the Munich Arena to its feet with a goal that makes him the youngest German scorer to score in a European Championship 21 years old.
The Bayer Leverkusen player first executed a pass from Joshua Kimmich to put the ‘Mannschaft’ ahead, leaving the festive Scotland fans speechless.
Another 21-year-old footballer, Jamal Musiala, voted Man of the Match, extended the lead 9 minutes later, assisted by Kai Havertz.
Arsenal’s attacking midfielder scored the third goal from the penalty spot, after a harsh challenge by Scotsman Ryan Porteous on Ilkay Gundogan cost the Watford centre-back the expulsion.
Veteran Niclas Füllkrug also scored, the 31-year-old author of Germany’s fourth (68), after a great collective action in the rival area.
Another of the veterans, the eternal Toni Kroos, led his team’s game from the center of the field, in what will be his last tournament before hanging up his boots. The midfielder was applauded by the entire stadium when he was replaced in the second half (80) by Emre Can, scorer of the fifth (90+3, 5-1)
Nagelsmann’s revenge in Munich
Waiting for him on the sideline was the German coach Julian Nagelsmann, the main architect of Kroos’ return to the national team, and who experienced the game from the Munich bench, which not so long ago was his full-time.
One year and two months later since the coach was suddenly fired from Bayern to the general surprise, Nagelsmann achieved his first victory in an official match with Germany in the German giant’s stadium.
It also does so in a context of urgency for the ‘Mannschaft’, eliminated in the group stage of the last two World Cups (2018 and 2022) and defeated in the round of 16 of the last Euro Cup, in 2021.
But despite the forcefulness of the victory, the road to the round of 16 includes two ‘a priori’ more complicated matches for Germany: Hungary, on June 19 in Stuttgart, and Switzerland, on the 23rd in Frankfurt.
It is more difficult for Scotland, which has never made it past the group stage of a European Championship or World Cup in its history. A sporting curse that does not seem to intimidate their fans, who regained their voice and the festive atmosphere in the final stretch of the match, after Antonio Rüdiger’s own goal (87, 4-1).
Source: AFP
