Germany vs Scotland EURO 2024 Group A Matchday 1 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups

Germany and Scotland meet in the first match of the UEFA EURO 2024 in Group A on Friday 14 June.

Where to watch Germany vs Scotland on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2024 broadcast partner(s) here. 

What do you need to know?

After group stage exits in two of the last three major tournaments, Germany will hope to summon the spirit of the 2006 FIFA World Cup – when Jürgen Klinsmann's hosts defied the odds to reach the semi-finals – as they go in search of a record-breaking fourth EURO triumph. Julian Nagelsmann did not get off to the best of starts after replacing Hansi Flick as coach last year, but wins against France and the Netherlands in March hint at a brighter future under the 36-year-old former Bayern boss. Victory in Munich would certainly raise hopes of a deep run into the tournament.

Hopes are certainly high in the Scotland camp after a sensational qualifying campaign that included victories over three-time winners Spain, Norway and Georgia. The first manager to guide the Tartan Army to back-to-back European Championships, Steve Clarke has built a settled squad and developed a system that brings out the best in the likes of Aston Villa captain John McGinn and Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who plundered seven goals in eight qualifying appearances. Can Clarke's team cause another upset here?

Starting line-ups

Germany: Neuer; Kimmich, Rüdiger, Tah, Mittelstädt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gündoğan, Wirtz; Havertz

Scotland: Gunn; Hendry, Porteous, Tierney; Ralston, McGregor, McTominay, Robertson; McGinn, Adams, Christie

Form guide

Germany
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WDWWLL

Scotland
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DWLLDD

Expert predictions

Phil Röber, Germany reporter

My gut feeling at past EUROs has not been entirely off (everyone thought I was crazy when I picked Portugal to win it in 2016), and now it's telling me Germany will have a good tournament. They have lost their opening match at the last three major tournaments, but I believe that streak will end in Munich. If Scotland play as aggressively as they did against the Netherlands in March, this opening game will set a high bar for the rest of the finals.

Alex O'Henley, Scotland reporter

If Scotland are to get a result against the hosts, they will need to return to the performance levels that saw them string together five consecutive victories at the start of their qualification campaign. Twenty-five years have passed since Scotland last tasted victory over Germany courtesy of a Don Hutchison goal in Bremen. A similar result in Munich would have the Tartan Army in dreamland.

What the coaches say

Julian Nagelsmann, Germany coach: "When I look into the players' eyes, I can see they want a home win in our first game. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a very nice feeling. I'm a little nervous myself. It's a big tournament. It's a special moment to be able to lead the team and lead the country. Scotland are a very good team with a lot of flair. They play a lot of crosses and are very dangerous. Their players give everything and throw themselves into every challenge – that's the Scottish mentality."

Steve Clarke, Scotland coach: "The occasion will be for everybody else. For both sets of coaching staff and players, it's about the game; it's about how the game pans out. Germany will want to win; we want to win, everyone else can enjoy the occasion. My family's here. They're going to enjoy the occasion and hopefully they enjoy the match as well. We've prepared – we've waited a long time to be ready for this. We've worked hard in preparation and hopefully you'll see the results of that on the pitch."