MUNICH (AP) — Host Germany opened the European Championship with a confidence-boosting 5-1 win over 10-man Scotland on Friday.
Goals from Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala had Germany firmly in control within 20 minutes, and the duo — both 21 — also became their team’s two youngest goal-scorers in Euro history.
The first half ended in the worst possible way for Scotland when defender Ryan Porteous was sent off and Kai Havertz converted the resulting penalty kick.
Substitute Niclas Füllkrug came off the bench to score Germany’s fourth in the 68th, and Emre Can netted in stoppage time as the hosts recorded their largest margin of victory in a European Championship.
Scotland, which hadn't had a shot on goal all match, managed to give its raucous fans something to cheer about moments earlier when the ball was bundled into the back of the net off Germany defender Antonio Rüdiger for an own goal.
Steve Clarke’s side will have to do better against Hungary and Switzerland if it is to get out of Group A and reach the knockout stage for the first time.
Germany, tied with Spain, is bidding for a record fourth European Championship title.
Scotland’s support, the Tartan Army, numbered in the thousands in Munich and started the match in fine voice but the travelling fans were swiftly quietened when Wirtz scored in the 10th.
Toni Kroos picked out Joshua Kimmich with a brilliant crossfield lob and he rolled it across for Wirtz to fire in. Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn got a hand to it but could only push it against the post and the ball rolled over the line.
Wirtz became Germany’s youngest Euros goal-scorer. Musiala, 67 days older than Wirtz, doubled Germany’s tally nine minutes later.
İlkay Gündoğan threaded the ball to Havertz, who raced onto it into the penalty area and held it up before locating Musiala in the middle of the box, where the midfielder blasted it into the back of the net.
Right on halftime, Gunn only parried a header from Gündoğan, but just when the captain appeared set to tuck home the rebound, he was upended by a thunderous challenge from Porteous.
After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Clément Turpin showed Porteous a straight red card and awarded Germany a penalty, which Havertz converted.
Scotland managed to limit the damage at the start of the second half but again came undone when an attempted exchange between Musiala and Gündoğan fell kindly for Füllkrug. The substitute, who had come on only five minutes earlier, unleashed a thunderbolt into the top right corner.
Germany had another goal disallowed before Scotland scored a late consolation when Kieran McKenna’s header from a free kick went in off Rüdiger.
Can, who was brought into the squad only two days ago as a late replacement for the ill Aleksandar Pavlovic, curled in the fifth for Germany in stoppage time.
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
Daniella Matar, The Associated Press
