Euro 2024 Data Dive: Germany Marks Historic Win In European Championships

Germany dominated Scotland in the Euro 2024 opener on Friday, showcasing their prowess as hosts. Florian Wirtz opened the scoring in the 10th minute, becoming the youngest player to net an opening goal in European Championship history. Jamal Musiala doubled the lead shortly after, finishing a setup by Kai Havertz.

With Wirtz (21 years, 42 days) and Musiala (21 years, 109 days) both scoring, Germany became the first team in European Championship history to have two players aged 21 or younger score in the same match. Havertz then converted a penalty before half-time, following a red card for Scotland's Ryan Porteous after a VAR review.

Porteous' dismissal marked the second time a Scottish player has been sent off at a major tournament, following Craig Burley’s red card in the 1998 World Cup against Morocco. This was also the first red card in an opening game of the Euros since 2012, when Sokratis (Greece) and Wojciech Szczesny (Poland) were both sent off in a 1-1 draw.

Havertz's penalty ensured Germany led 3-0 at half-time, making it only the third time in European Championship history that a team has scored three goals in the first half of a game. The previous instances were France vs Belgium in 1984 and France vs Iceland in 2016.

Germany capitalised on their numerical advantage to secure the largest win by a host nation in their opening match at a European Championship tournament. An own goal from Antonio Rudiger was the only blemish on their performance. Scotland managed just one shot, which was off target, and had an xG of only 0.01 compared to Germany's 2.17.

This match marked Scotland's first failure to register a shot on target in a major tournament since facing the Netherlands in the Euros in 1992. Steve Clarke's team must now regroup to face Switzerland on Wednesday, coming off their heaviest defeat at a major tournament since losing 7-0 to Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup.

Germany, meanwhile, are well-positioned for the knockout stages and could secure their place by defeating Hungary. The match also made history as the first European Championship game to feature a red card, a penalty scored, and an own goal.

Musiala was particularly impressive, completing five of his eight dribble attempts and having six touches in the opponent's box—four more than Scotland managed altogether. Despite Scotland's poor showing, Euro 2024 has begun with notable performances and historic moments.