Germany or Scotland to draw first blood?

So it begins! As soon as the national football teams of Germany and Scotland step onto the pitch of Munich’s Football Arena, EURO 2024 kicks off for real. Let’s skip the ceremonial pre-match obligations and focus on what counts: the football itself, who’ll win, and why!

Germany vs Scotland

• When: Friday, 14 June, 9 p.m.
• Where: Munich Football Arena, Munich

Of course, Germany’s no stranger to big football tournaments. The Germans have collected 3 trophies, and the EURO2024 marks their 14th participation in Europe’s championship. Their previous championship in 2021 didn’t go as planned, though: they lost 2-0 to England in their first knockout round game.

Under current head coach Julian Nagelsmann since 22 September 2023, it’s starting to look like Germany is ready to return to football’s main stage. In 8 games under Nagelsmann, Germany won 4 times, drew 2 times, and lost 2 times. Their selection is a solid mix of experienced players and young talents, and together they can spook any opponent. Germany’s Gegenpressing, specifically, is notoriously hard to handle.

Looking at our outright odds, you’ll find Scotland among “the best of the rest”. That’s not to say that it didn’t earn its place at Europe’s biggest stage. The Scots won 5 times in a row on their road to the EURO 2024 campaign, qualifying with 2 matches to spare. It’s their 2nd appearance in a row, and their 4th overall.

Getting to the European football championship is one thing, staying there is another. Scotland never managed to make it past the group stage. Out of 9 matches played in its 4 participations, it won 2, drew 2, and lost 5. If it wants to do better, it needs to leave a strong impression right away. The Scottish selection may lack the international flair that other higher-ranked nations have, but with Scotland’s passion for the game, anything is possible.

Stats and key info

Recent results

• Germany: win/draw/win/win/loss
• Scotland: draw/win/loss/loss/draw

Head-to-head history

• Germany: 8 wins, 26 goals
• Draws: 5
• Scotland: 4 wins, 23 goals

Recent encounters (last 5 games)

• Scotland vs Germany (07/09/2015): 2-3
• Germany vs Scotland (07/09/2014): 2-1
• Germany vs Scotland (10/09/2003): 2-1
• Scotland vs Germany (07/06/2003): 1-1
• Scotland vs Germany (15/06/1992): 0-2

Goals for/against (last 10 games)

• Germany: 16/15
• Scotland: 14/21

Clean sheets (last 10 games)

• Germany: 2
• Scotland: 2

Key players

• Germany: Toni Kroos (midfielder, Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (goalkeeper, Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (midfielder, Bayer Leverkusen).
• Scotland: Billy Gilmour (midfielder, Brighton), Scott McTominay (midfielder, Manchester United), Lawrence Shankland (forward, Hearts).

Conclusion and betting tips

It’s clear which side is the favorite for this inaugural EURO 2024 game: Germany is most likely to win here with odds of 1.30. It’s virtually an obligation as a host nation, in fact. That’s not to say that Scotland will go down so easy, of course. With odds of 2.20, a bet on ‘Both Teams To Score: Yes’ could be a good investment. If you believe Germany will make a statement, then ‘Total goals: Over 3.5’ is worth a shot.