Germany vs Scotland – LIVE!
Euro 2024 kicks off tonight when host nation Germany takes on Scotland in the opening match of the tournament. While the Germans will receive support at home next month as they bid for a record fourth European Championship success, an extraordinary number of Scottish fans have traveled to roar at their side.
Germany have struggled in recent major tournaments, losing in the last 16 of the last European Championship and failing to make it out of the World Cup group stages. However, Julian Nagelsmann has lifted spirits since taking charge, and friendly wins over France and the Netherlands in March have raised hopes of a deep run this summer.
As for Scotland, they are on a run of just one win in nine games after Steve Clarke’s side booked their place in Germany with a flying start to qualifying. With 16 of the 24 teams reaching the knockout stages, the Tartan Army will believe they can get out of their group at a major tournament for the first time. Follow all the action below via Standard Sport’s LIVE blog, including coverage of the opening ceremony!
Germany vs Scotland latest updates
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Kick-off: 8pm BST | Allianz Arena
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Opening ceremony to start the tournament
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How to watch: ITV1
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Team news from Germany: Pavlovic eliminated from tournament
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Scotland team news: Robertson fit to start
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Standard sports prediction
Tartan Army on summer vacation…
17:54 , Matt Verri
An incredible number of Scottish fans in Germany for this tournament. Not only in Munich, but in a number of cities where competitions take place.
There are certainly more than 100,000 traveling supporters – some reports suggest this number could be as high as 200,000!
A lack of support won’t be a problem for Steve Clarke’s side in the coming weeks…
The stage has been set!
5:45 PM , Matt Verri
It’s going to be a perfect evening!
It won’t be long before at least some of the people lining the streets of Munich enter the stadium.
Standard sports prediction
17:38 , Matt Verri
A few months ago Scotland looked like a potential banana peel for the Germans, but the mood has changed since then.
Goals could prove to be a problem for Steve Clarke’s side this summer and while they can frustrate Germany tonight, the home side should have plenty of them.
Germany wins 2-0.
Scotland team news
17:31 , Matt Verri
Scotland also have no injury concerns to worry about in their Euro 2024 opener against Germany, with captain Andy Robertson overcoming a fitness scare.
There were fears Liverpool left-back Robertson’s involvement against Germany could be in doubt after he paused training earlier this week.
But manager Clarke confirmed on the eve of the match that his entire squad is ‘ready to go’. Lawrence Shankland also withdrew from training with a ‘niggle’ but is expected to be fit for the Group A opener, as is Stuart Armstrong, who has been training individually since overcoming a muscle problem.
Aaron Hickey, Ben Doak and Lyndon Dykes were all ruled out of the tournament before the team flew to Germany.
Predicted Scotland XI: Gunn; Porteus, Hendry, Tierney; Ralston, Gilmour, McTominay, Robertson; Christie, McGinn; Adams
Team news from Germany
17:22 , Matt Verri
After Aleksandar Pavlovic was sent home with tonsillitis and was replaced by Emre Can, there are no new injury problems for Julian Nagelsmann.
Ilkay Gundogan will start as the most advanced midfielder, ahead of Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich, with Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz widening the mark. That would mean that Leroy Sane would have to settle for a place on the bench.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz scored in Germany’s latest friendly win over Greece last week and will likely be preferred to Niclas Fullkrug up front, while Pascal Gross scored the winner from the bench in that match and will hope to have some involvement again.
Sane could make a late run to start on the wing if he proves his fitness following a knee injury, but Nagelsmann will likely rely on the formations he has favored since the turn of the year.
Predicted Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Gundogan, Kroos; Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Opening ceremony details
17:13 , Matt Verri
Normally not on the scale of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, the major football tournaments usually pull back the curtains with a 20 to 30 minute performance, including a musical guest, before the kick-off of the opening match.
At the 2020 European Championship, Andrea Bocelli surprised a packed Stadio Olimpico in Rome, together with a performance by Martin Garrix, Bono and The Edge.
UEFA has confirmed that German football legend Franz Beckenbauer will be honored at the ceremony, which starts at around 7.30pm, ahead of the opening match.
Germany’s two surviving captains, Bernard Dietz and Jurgen Klinsmann, are joined by Beckenbauer’s wife Heidi and the match trophy on the field before the tournament gets underway.
On Thursday there was an ‘Opening Concert’ in Stuttgart, on the Schlossplatz, which ran from 4pm local time to 10.30pm and featured a number of local musical guests.
How to watch Germany vs Scotland
17:07 , Matt Verri
TV channel: In the UK, tonight’s match will be broadcast live and free on ITV1. Coverage starts at 6:30 PM BST, ahead of the 8:00 PM kick-off.
Live stream: The ITVX website and app will offer a free livestream service online.
Live blog: Follow all the action here with us!
Good evening!
17:01 , Matt Verri
Euro 2024 is here!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Germany vs Scotland in Munich as the tournament gets underway.
The hosts will be looking to make a confident start, but the Tartan Army have traveled in numbers and will certainly play their part in making it a memorable event.
We’ll report on that in detail later this evening, with kick-off at 8pm BST from the Allianz Arena, as well as the opening ceremony that precedes it. All the usual build-up and team news can also be found here. Stay with us!
