With the advantage of playing at home and being one of the strongest candidates for the EURO 2024 championship, the German team will surely be determined to have a smooth start in the opening match against the Scotland team at 02:00 on June 15. Will it be a beneficial 90 minutes for Julian Nagelsmann’s team or will an early surprise occur?
Expert opinions on the match between Germany and Scotland
The German team has shown signs of progress in form in recent matches with victories against France and most recently Greece. However, the overall performance of the team still fails to completely convince the fans. They still have certain weaknesses such as a deadlock draw against Ukraine and two consecutive losses against Turkey and Austria. The biggest positive point for Germany is the return of Toni Kroos, a player who plays a crucial role in helping Julian Nagelsmann’s team operate much more smoothly. Since the return of the Real Madrid midfielder, Germany has been unbeaten in 4 consecutive matches with 3 wins and 1 draw.
In contrast to the German team, the players on the Scotland side have not shown the necessary readiness for this EURO 2024 campaign. Andy Robertson and his teammates have just completed the preparation phase for the tournament with only 1 victory against the weaker team Gibraltar, along with 1 draw and 2 losses against opponents such as the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. However, this should not underestimate Scotland because the difference between their friendly matches and official matches is quite significant. It should be noted that this team finished 2nd in Group A of the qualifiers, defeating Spain and only losing 1 match throughout the EURO 2024 campaign. Germany will need thorough preparation if they want to secure 3 points against Scotland in the opening match.
A brief overview of the historical encounters between Germany and Scotland in the past
It has been quite a while since Germany and Scotland met in both official and friendly matches. The most recent match took place in 2015 and ended with a 3-2 victory for Germany. Overall, Die Mannschaft has an impressive record of being undefeated in the last 5 encounters with the team from the United Kingdom, including 4 wins and 1 draw.
Bookmaker’s odds for the match between Germany and Scotland
With the goal of securing all 3 points in front of their home fans, the German team will surely unleash their best. Some recent matches of the German team have also helped coach Julian Nagelsmann shape his optimal lineup, with the youthfulness of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz combined with the experience of veterans like Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan, and Joshua Kimmich.
As for Scotland, the achievable goal of this team is not to lose against Germany. Just a draw will help Steve Clarke’s team gain an advantage for a ticket to the next round against opponents like Hungary or Switzerland. The hope will be placed on the shoulders of forwards like Andy Robertson and John McGinn, and even Scott McTominay, a player who is very adept at scoring whenever he plays for the national team.
- Under goals: In the first match of a major tournament, the players of Germany or Scotland are likely to play cautiously and need time to synchronize with each other. Therefore, a cautious game as predicted by experts is very likely to happen. Perhaps the 3 points will still stay with the home team Germany, but the margin will not be much.
- Corner kicks: In recent matches of the German national team, there have been a lot of corner kicks due to their attacking play and the willingness of Die Mannschafts midfielders to shoot from distance. On the other hand, Scotland often deploys an attacking play from the flanks, which also easily creates corner kick situations.
- Select Scotland +1.5: In the last 3 recent encounters between Germany and Scotland, the home team of EURO 2024 only won with a 1-goal margin. This shows the difficulty of Germany whenever they face Scotland, and the opening match of this year’s tournament will be no exception.
Information about the squads of Germany and Scotland
Germany: The possibility of Niclas Fullkrug’s appearance is still uncertain Scotland: Full squad
Predicted line-ups for Germany and Scotland
- Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer, Kimmich, Rudiger, Jonathan Tah, Mittelstadt, Kroos, Andrich, Gundogan, Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Havertz.
- Scotland (3-4-3): Gunn, Jack Hendry, Hanley, Tierney, Ralston, Robertson, McTominay, Billy Gilmour, McGinn, Ryan Christie, Che Adams.
Match score prediction: Germany 1-0 Scotland
