Germany vs Scotland, Euro 2024: Wirtz breaks records for Germany, top talking points in European Championship opener

The 2024 European Championship started with a brilliant opening ceremony at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, before the host geared up for its match against Scotland.

Scotland’s Andy Robertson in action with Germany’s Joshua Kimmich \. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The 2024 European Championship started with a brilliant opening ceremony at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, before the host geared up for its match against Scotland, on Friday.

Sportstar looks at the top talking points from the opening match of EURO 2024 between Germany and Scotland.

Youth take centre-stage

For the first time at the Men’s European Championships, two players aged 21 or under have scored for the same team in a single game. Florian Wirtz scored the opening goal while Jamal Musiala doubled the lead, with both being 21.

A brighter tomorrow for Germany

Wirtz is the third German player to score the opening goal at a European Championship after Gerd Müller in 1972 and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1980. At 21 years and 42 days old, he is the youngest player to score for Germany in the tournament.

His strike for Germany at nine minutes and 54 seconds is the second fastest in the opening match of the Euros after Giorgios Karagounis’ goal for Greece in 2004 (5:57)

Good days under Nagelsmann

For the first time ever, Germany scored three goals in the first half of a European Championship match. Playing under Julian Nagelsmann, the youngest-ever coach in the European Championship, it has looked very aggressive in its opening game, against Scotland.

It also became only the second team to score three or more goals in the first half of a EURO match after France (3 v Belgium in 1984, 4 v Iceland in 2016). 

Night to forget for Scotland

Scotland’s Ryan Porteous became the first player to be sent off on his EUROs debut since Aleksandar Dragovic for Austria vs Hungary in 2016, and the first Scotland international to receive a major tournament (World Cup/EUROs) red card since Craig Burley vs Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 1998.

New Super Sub in town

All three of Niclas Fullkrug’s major tournament goals (World Cup/EUROs) have been as a substitute, a joint-record for an European nation, along with Hungary’s Laszlo Kiss, Portugal’s Rui Costa, and Germany’s André Schurrle

The Sniper strikes again

Toni Kroos completed 99 per cent of his passes against Scotland (101/102); the highest completion rate on record (since 1980) by any player to attempt 100 or more passes in a game at the EUROs.

Starting with a bang

Germany won its opening game of a European Championship for the eighth time, while no other team has done so on more than six occasions (France being the only side on six).

It became the seventh different team to score at least five goals in a single EUROs match after Denmark, France (twice), Netherlands, Spain (twice), Sweden and Yugoslavia.

(with inputs from Opta)