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Despite Germany beating Scotland in their Euro 2024 opener, they could have a weak link in the form of Julian Nagelsmann, according to Dominic King on It’s All Kicking Off.
The hosts were ruthless as they got their Group A campaign underway against Steve Clarke’s men, with goals from Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala inside the opening 20 minutes.
Scotland’s hopes of salvaging anything from the game were already a Herculean task but vanished after Ryan Porteous was sent off for a horror challenge against Ilkay Gundogan.
Kai Havertz scored the subsequent penalty to create a commanding lead heading into half-time.
Second-half goals from substitutes Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can profoundly demonstrated Germany’s strength, while an own-goal from Antonio Rudiger gave the hapless Scottish fans something to cheer about.
Speaking after the match, King emphasized that Gareth Southgate is a superior manager to the former Bayern Munich coach, citing Germany’s patchy defensive record ahead of the final.
King went on to suggest that Germany will be ‘top of the table’ later in the tournament, despite the attacking talents Nagelsmann possesses.
Listen to It’s All Kicking Off! on Spotify or Apple podcasts. New episodes appear every day during the European Championship.
Julian Nagelsmann failed to inspire confidence despite Germany’s defeat against Scotland
The hosts’ attacking talent was on full display from the start, with Florian Wirtz putting them ahead
Jamal Musiala played a key role as Germany’s dominance turned the clash into a rout
But a patchy defensive record in the run-up to the tournament suggests potential weaknesses at the back