Euro 2024 – Group A – Can Scotland surpass the group stage?

As the excitement for the Euros builds, football fans across Scotland are eager to see if their national team can rise to the occasion and surpass the group stage. Scotland faces a challenging journey ahead and, in this blog, we will delve into Group A’s strengths, key players, and crucial matches that will determine whether Scotland can make a historic advance to the knockout rounds.

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Germany 2/5

The German national team enters the European Championships in excellent form, having recently triumphed over both France and the Netherlands in friendly matches. Historically strong in international competitions, Germany are the clear favourites to top Group A, with odds of 2/5. They are also third favourites to win the entire tournament at 11/2.

The German attack has been formidable this season, with key players excelling in their respective leagues. Kai Havertz has played a crucial role in Arsenal’s success, silencing his critics and proving himself vital in linking up Germany’s attacking play. Bundesliga stars Niclas Füllkrug and Florian Wirtz have also had standout seasons, significantly contributing to their teams’ achievements.

Germany’s offensive prowess poses a significant threat for their opponents, and Scotland faces a particularly tough opening match, especially with Germany enjoying the advantage of being the host nation. The German team is expected to deliver plenty of goals and make a strong impact from the start.

Switzerland 11/2

Switzerland, the second favourites to win Group A, pose a formidable challenge for Scotland in their second game. Known for their resilience, Switzerland demonstrated their defensive prowess in the most recent World Cup, where Brazil took 83 minutes to breach their defence. Granit Xhaka, who has had an outstanding season and secured the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen under the tutelage of Xabi Alonso will undoubtedly be a crucial player for the Swiss side. Although Switzerland and Scotland haven’t faced each other since 2006 making it difficult to predict the outcome based on recent form, these games will be the most important with one spot in the knockouts available should Germany sweep up maximum points.

Hungary are one of the most underrated teams in the European Championship and are a potential dark horse of the competition. They shocked everyone in the last Euros when drawing to both France and Germany, the latter of the two they will meet again in the group stages of this tournament. Since then, Hungary have been in great form maintaining an unbeaten run since September 2022. Since their breakout tournament, as one of the teams which could cause a problem in Group A, Hungary have played England three times, beating them on two occasions and drawing the other. Hungary are 13/2 to win this group and it wouldn’t come as a complete surprise should they cause an upset early in the competition.

Scotland 8/1

As we review Scotland’s three fixtures in the group stages of this tournament, it becomes clear just how challenging it will be for them to advance. Facing the host nation, Germany, along with two teams capable of defeating top-tier opponents, even a single win could be seen as a success for Steve Clarke’s squad. However, Scotland is a nation with immense footballing pride, and their supporters are sure to travel in strong numbers. The players are known for their fighting spirit, as evidenced by their two late goals away in Norway during the Euro qualifiers. Despite what looks a large mountain to climb, Scotland will undoubtedly battle until the very end and leave it all on the pitch to do themselves and their country proud.