Start of Euro 2024
Euro 2024 starts today with the opening game being between the hosts Germany and Scotland in Group A at the Allianz Arena. The hosts come into this tournament having performed badly at the last three major tournaments failing to qualify out of the group stage at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and getting knocked out in the last 16 of Euro 2020. Much of this recent form from a traditionally powerful national team like Germany has seen the team enter this tournament with relatively reduced expectations. However, despite their recent troubles at major tournaments, Germany is still expected to do well at the finals as hosts with bookmakers such as Paddy Power and William Hill with both bookmakers having Germany amongst the five favourites to win the whole tournament. Scotland comes into this tournament in relatively good form having obtained a win against Gibraltar and a draw against Finland from their warm-up games. Scotland manager Steve Clarke has been fortunate to have four of his best players available to him with captain Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Kieran Tierney, and Scott McTominay all available for selection in their group games permitting none of them to receive any injuries before the tournament starts. Most football pundits and experts would regard success for Scotland at this tournament meaning qualifying successfully out of their group which also contains Switzerland and Hungary with anything beyond that being a bonus.
