It’s finally starting! The 17th European Football Championship starts this Friday in Munich with the opening match between Germany and Scotland (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Football Championship, on ZDF and on Magenta TV). For the opening match in Group A, national coach Julian Nagelsmann is relying on the expected starting eleven, which he has been relying on since the role discussions with the national players since the two matches in March.
Despite his serious mistakes, Manuel Neuer is the last player to play in goal, with Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah defending in front of him. Joshua Kimmich is on the right and Maximilian Mittelstädt on the left. Toni Kroos is set in front of him, with Robert Andrich covering his back. Captain İlkay Gündoğan coordinates the attacking midfield with the two “magicians” Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, with Kai Havertz leading the way. 15 substitutes are on the bench, five can be substituted.
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Scotland starts with a team led by captain Andrew Robertson from Liverpool FC, Jürgen Klopp’s former club.
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Nagelsmann made a passionate appeal to the German fans in the stadium at the press conference on Thursday. “I want us as a country to unite and push the German national team forward. We have to somehow use the home advantage that we have,” he said, and wished for a “loud stadium.” Christian Kamp reports on the situation with the team that the national coach had on a leash on Thursday. “But tomorrow I will let them loose.”
One person he doesn’t have to push is Robert Andrich. The midfielder won the German championship and cup – and is a national player. In an interview with Tobias Rabe before the start of the European Championship, he talks about the Leverkusen feeling in the national team, the distribution of roles with Toni Kroos and why even bad experiences have something good for him. The attitude to football of perhaps the most Scottish German player is the same this Friday: “The sliding tackle reflects my mentality.”
European Football Championship in GermanyThese 26 should fix it
The German captain plays in front of Andrich. In order for the two offensive “magicians” Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala to shine, there has to be a player who can make them shine. That should be İlkay Gündoğan. But at the European Football Championship, his game intelligence is facing perhaps its greatest test. Christopher Meltzer describes the tricky task.
But Julian Nagelsmann is also in the spotlight. It is the national coach’s first tournament with the national team. He gave the German Football Association (DFB) selection stability at perhaps the last moment. Whether his plan will work in the end, however, also depends on an acid test: is he a tournament coach? Christian Kamp analyses the prospects for success.
And the opponent? The Scots are hoping for fun in the stadium and outside. In Pirmin Clossé’s interview with Iain Emerson, editor of the official fan magazine, the focus is mainly on the fans, tens of thousands of whom were in Munich long before kick-off. Elisabeth Schlammerl visited the team in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and explains why they are going into the tournament without fear.
Who will win the opening game? The FAZ’s European Championship forecast by Daniel Memmert and Fabian Wunderlich sees a high probability of victory for Germany. The overall forecast doesn’t look too bad either. Tobias Rabe explains how the numbers are calculated.
