On Friday evening, the wait will finally be over as Euro 2024 gets underway at Allianz Arena in the city of Munich, where Germany will take on Scotland. Here’s to a great tournament. Read on for our Germany vs Scotland prediction.
Germany vs Scotland prediction
For the Germany vs. Scotland match prediction, we believe the final score will be 2-1 in favour of Germany based on our analysis. The Scots have shown that they can cause teams problems on the break, though all round, they lack the quality to gain a result against a superior German outfit that should ultimately have a bit too much firepower.
Can the Scots do the unthinkable and upset the hosts on the opening night of the tournament? Almost certainly not, but they may just be able to keep things respectable against a German team that may need a little bit of oiling early doors before shifting through the gears as the tournament goes on.
Our Germany vs Scotland predictions are as follows, all of which are explained below.
Both Teams to Score @ 6/5 with bet365
John McGinn to Be Booked @ 21/10 with bet365
Lawrence Shankland to Score Anytime @ 6/1 with bet365
Germany vs Scotland betting odds
Germany vs Scotland head-to-head statistics
This will be the first time that Germany and Scotland have met since 2015, when the Germans won by three goals to two on Scottish soil.
Having first met in 1969, these two nations have faced off against each other nine times, with the Scots winning just once.
The Germans have won six of the other eight, including each of the last three. All three of those wins were by just a single goal, while both teams scored in all three too.
Germany vs Scotland preview
This match will be played on 14/06/2024 at Allianz Arena in Munich at 20:00 GMT.
This is a massive game for the Germans, who as tournament hosts will have a sizable amount of pressure on their shoulders.
The starting XI that Julian Nagelsmann plumps for has perhaps the unenviable task of kicking the tournament off and confirming heavy favouritism.
In contrast, though they will want to get a result, sure, the Scots have a little bit of a free-hit here. Nobody really expects them to cause an upset, not seriously, so this is almost a win/win.
Let’s be honest, if they get beaten, move on and focus on the remaining two games, neither of which are unwinnable, but if Steve Clarke’s men do manage to steal something in Munich, then they’ll be ahead of schedule.
To be honest, the Germans have the quality to get the job done on opening night, especially in the final third, which could ultimately make all the difference, but don’t be surprised if they win with a little less comfort than the early odds suggest.
As much as I am a fan, as suggested when tipping them to win the lot at 11/2, Die Mannschaft didn’t really sparkle in their warm-up game, while we know that this Scotland team can dig in and make life tough for opponents.
After all, to get to this tournament, the Scottish defied expectations by qualifying automatically from a group that contained the Spanish and a Norway team containing two of the most feared opponents in the Premier League in Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
Since qualifying, we’ve seen Clarke’s team go a little bit off the rails, losing some of their defensive solidity, keeping one clean sheet in four matches, but you can be certain that they’ll do everything possible to keep things tight here.
Germany vs Scotland betting tips
Ahead of the hotly awaited opening game of Euro 2024, I’ve settled on three bets, all of which stand out at the early odds.
Both Teams to Score
From a primary betting point of view, I think there’s plenty to like about ‘Both Teams to Score’ at the early prices.
We know that the Scots will look to sit and play on the break, so it bodes well that the counter-attack proved to be very fruitful for Greece just a few days ago, while the likes of Austria, Turkey and Mexico have all hurt this Germany team on the counter in recent times.
The Tartan Army have a poor defensive record against big nations, conceding against the Netherlands, Spain x2, France, England and Norway x2 since the beginning of 2023, but they’ve scored against all but one of those opponents, so don’t write them off here.
Ultimately, I think there’s enough evidence to make ‘Both Teams to Score’ look like an attractive play all the time 6/5 is available.
John McGinn to Be Booked
With his tenacity and hard-working approach, John McGinn will likely be an important player for Scotland at this tournament, and I fancy him to pick up a booking in this opening game, particularly at odds of 21/10 with bet365.
The Aston Villa captain is certainly partial to a booking, receiving two yellows in his last four for club and country, while he picked up nine yellows in the Premier League last season, with only Douglas Luiz collecting more cautions for Villa.
Moreover, in big games, when his team is often under lots of pressure against top sides, he has a tendency to get his name taken, picking up a yellow when Scotland lost to Netherlands back in March, while he was also booked for Villa against Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Lawrence Shankland to Score
Finally, at a chunky price, I really do like the look of Lawrence Shankland to score in the opening game of Euro 2024.
The Hearts man, who recently enjoyed a superb domestic season in the Scottish top flight, won’t have too much expectation on his shoulders here as the focus will be heavily on the German forwards, who’re under pressure to perform on home soil, and this could free him up to have a fun evening in Munich.
Certainly not a stranger to scoring against the run of play, as he did several times against both Rangers and Celtic in Hearts’ biggest games last season, while he comes here having found the net in the last warm-up game.
Against a German side that has been a little open to the counter in recent weeks, I’m more than happy to take on Scotland’s number nine to hit the ground running in Germany.
Recap - Germany vs Scotland betting tips
Both Teams to Score @ 6/5 with bet365
John McGinn to Be Booked @ 21/10 with bet365
Lawrence Shankland to Score @ 6/1 with bet365
