Germany vs. Scotland: UEFA Euro 2024 preview, team news, LIVE blog and match report

Germany kick off their UEFA EURO 2024 campaign at home to Scotland on Friday, with Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena hosting the game (kick-off: 9pm CET).

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Germany are hosting the Euros for the first time since 1988 – when a Marco van Basten-inspired Netherlands took the title – and do so as one of the favourites to bring home what would be a record fourth title. After a mixed start to his tenure as head coach, Julian Nagelsmann seems to have settled on his preferred system and personnel, and the friendly run-in ahead of the competition took in victories over the Dutch, as well as France. Toni Kroos will retire after the tournament, and hopes to add a European Championship to the UEFA Champions League he recently won with Real Madrid. He will start in central midfield with Bayer Leverkusen‘s Robert Andrich likely tasked with doing the dirty work alongside him. Nagelsmann has confirmed that Manuel Neuer remains his No.1, while Kai Havertz has pulled ahead of Niclas Füllkrug as his first-choice striker. Elsewhere, Joshua Kimmich has been repurposed as a right-back for club and country. His Bayern teammate Jamal Musiala and Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz – two of the brightest prospects in world football – should both start in the final third.

Scotland are the first of Germany’s Group A opponents, with Hungary and Switzerland also in the section. They are a stronger proposition under Steve Clarke than they have been for many years, but recent form has been patchy, with one win, one draw and two defeats in their pre-tournament friendlies. Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay was their seven-goal top scorer in qualifying, and is expected to shake off a knee injury in time to start in Munich. Striker Lyndon Dykes pulled up before the competition and will only travel to Germany as emotional support. Otherwise, the Scots look shortest at right-back, with Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson both unavailable – good news, perhaps, for recent Germany call-up Maximilian Mittelstädt, who looks set to get the nod at left-back for the hosts.

Watch: Musiala and Wirtz, Germany’s future

Match stats

• Germany are undefeated in four friendlies coming into the tournament, winning three, which has included victories over France and the Netherlands.
• Real star Kroos will retire after the tournament. He is the third-most capped player in the squad (with 109) after Neuer (119) and Thomas Müller (129).
• Brighton-owned Deniz Undav, called up ahead of Timo Werner, was the top-scoring German in Europe last season with 18 Bundesliga goals on loan with Stuttgart.
• Germany are three-time European champions, a record they share with Spain. Scotland hope to progress from the group stage for the first time.
• Germany have won each of their last three meetings with Scotland, and haven’t lost to them since a 1-0 friendly reverse back in April 1999.
• Havertz and Kieran Tierney (who spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad) are Arsenal teammates. Pacal Groß and Billy Gilmour play together in Brighton’s midfield.

Probable teams

Germany: Neuer – Kimmich, Tah, Rüdiger, Mittelstädt – Andrich, Kroos – Musiala, Gündoğan (c), Wirtz – Havertz
Out: Ginter (Achilles), Gnabry (hamstring), Gruda (calf), Schade (groin)
Doubtful: Füllkrug (knee)
Rest of squad: Anton, Baumann, Beier, Führich, Groß, Henrichs, Koch, Müller, Pavlović, Raum, Sané, Schlotterbeck, Ter Stegen, Undav
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann 

Scotland: Gunn – Hendry, Hanley, Tierney – Ralston, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson (c) – McTominay, McGinn – Shankland
Out: Doak (knee), Dykes (knee), Ferguson (knee), Hickey (hamstring), Patterson (hamstring)
Doubtful: Armstrong (hamstring)
Rest of squad: Adams, Christie, Clark, Conway, Cooper, Forrest, Jack, Kelly, McCrorie, McKenna, McLean, Morgan, Porteous, Taylor
Coach: Steve Clarke

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