2024-06-16 23:32:33
Germany, the host nation of Euro 2024, beat Scotland 5-1 this Friday in Munich, placing the final touch on the pitch to an thrilling and festive opening day of the event.
Florian Wirtz (10) and Jamal Musiala (19) quickly led to a rout with which Germany sends a robust message to its rivals.
«We could not have had a greater begin. We now have seen the environment all through the nation and we would have liked it,” declared Musiala after the match, of which he was elected Finest Participant.
All through the day, the followers took to the streets of the Bavarian metropolis, and three hours earlier than the opening whistle, the get together regularly moved to the stands of the Bayern Munich fiefdom.
Lower than half an hour earlier than the opening whistle, a colourful opening ceremony befell, after which tribute was paid to the German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died on January 7.
His spouse, Heidi Beckenbauer, introduced the Henri Delauney trophy, escorted by two different legends of German soccer: Bernard Dietz, captain of the ‘Mannschaft’ throughout Euro 1980, and Jürgen Klinsmann, who wore the bracelet within the title received in 1996 .
Positioned in a nook of the stadium, the ‘Tartan Military’, the title of the Scottish followers, made their presence felt, surpassing the German public in decibels throughout the interpretation of the anthems. However regardless of the victory within the stands, Scotland was dominated on the pitch from the opening whistle, with a German staff centered on the objective defended by Angus Gunn.
– Scorers of all ages –
Wirtz, one of many sensations of the season within the Bundesliga, solely took 10 minutes to attain the primary objective of the championship, bringing the Munich Enviornment to its ft with a objective that makes him the youngest German scorer to attain in a European Championship on the 21 years.
The Bayer Leverkusen participant first executed a go from Joshua Kimmich to place the ‘Mannschaft’ forward, leaving the festive Scotland followers speechless.
Musiala, additionally 21 years outdated, prolonged the lead 9 minutes later, assisted by Kai Havertz.
Arsenal’s attacking midfielder scored the third objective from the penalty spot, after a harsh problem by Scotsman Ryan Porteous on Ilkay Gundogan value the Watford centre-back the expulsion.
Veteran Niclas Füllkrug additionally scored, the 31-year-old creator of Germany’s fourth (68), after an excellent collective motion within the rival space.
One other of the veterans, the everlasting Toni Kroos, led his staff’s sport from the middle of the sphere, in what can be his final event earlier than hanging up his boots. The midfielder was applauded by all the stadium when he was changed within the second half (80) by Emre Can, scorer of the fifth (90+3, 5-1).
– Nagelsmann’s revenge in Munich –
Ready for him on the sideline was the German coach Julian Nagelsmann, the principle architect of Kroos’ return to the nationwide staff, and who skilled the sport from the Munich bench, which not so way back was his full-time.
A 12 months and two months later because the coach was abruptly fired from Bayern to the overall shock, Nagelsmann achieved his first victory in an official match with Germany, and he did so within the German large’s stadium.
And the victory additionally is available in a context of urgency for the ‘Mannschaft’, eradicated within the group stage of the final two World Cups (2018 and 2022) and defeated within the spherical of 16 of the final Euro Cup, in 2021.
However regardless of the majority of the consequence, the street to the spherical of 16 consists of two extra difficult ‘a priori’ matches for Germany: Hungary, on June 19 in Stuttgart, and Switzerland, on the twenty third in Frankfurt.
It’s harder for Scotland, which has by no means made it previous the group stage of a European Championship or World Cup in its historical past.
“It has been very disappointing, however whenever you’re taking part in in opposition to the host nation and it is the primary sport… issues cannot be extra difficult than that,” mentioned Scottish captain Andrew Robertson.
A sporting curse that doesn’t appear to intimidate their followers, who regained their voice and the festive environment within the ultimate stretch of the match, after Antonio Rüdiger’s personal objective (87, 4-1).
© Agence France-Presse
