START the drum roll because the waiting is almost over and the action is about to begin… with Scotland taking pride of place in the Euro 2024 opener against hosts Germany in Munich tomorrow night. Can Steve Clarke’s men make history by becoming the first Scottish team to make the knockouts of a major finals?
Are England going to triumph for the first time since 1966? And which players are most likely to shine at the tournament? Mail Sport’s resident experts JOHN McGARRY and CALUM CROWE answer these questions and more….
Do Scotland have a chance against Germany?
JOHN McGARRY: Absolutely. History tells us that the opening game of any tournament tends to be a cagey affair with a goal either way often deciding the outcome.
If we can ease our way into the contest, we’ll get chances.
For all the firepower Germany have in Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, they are vulnerable at the back. Now aged 38, Manuel Neuer is beginning to show signs of fragility.
The Scots were in high spirits as they were put through their paces at their training base
The Tartan Army have high hopes of a knees-up to match John McGinn’s on arrival in Germany
Steve Clarke has kept things suitably low-key but the excitement of fans is bubbling up nicely
Injuries may have weakened the depth of Steve Clarke’s squad, but the nucleus of the side which famously defeated Spain is still there. Set-pieces at both ends of the park could affect the outcome. In that regard, the work of Austin MacPhee could prove vital.
The pressure is all on the hosts here. If we seize the moment and remember what we are good at, we can rattle them.
CALUM CROWE: Of course we do. All the pressure is on the Germans. They are the host nation playing in front of their own fans on opening night. There will be a massive weight of expectation on them to deliver not only a victory, but also a performance to excite their supporters. There has been a disconnect between the German national team and their public over these past few years due to repeated failures at the past few major tournaments.
While still boasting some top players like Wirtz, Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Musiala, Germany are also very workmanlike in other positions. Scotland are good enough to frustrate them and take a point at the very least.
Steve Clarke has some selection issues — what’s your starting team for the opener and why?
JM: Angus Gunn obviously starts in goal. He’s simply the best keeper we have. Anthony Ralston showed enough against Finland to merit the nod at right wing-back with Andy Robertson deployed on the opposing flank.
I suspect the three in the middle of defence will be Jack Hendry, Grant Hanley and Kieran Tierney, purely because they featured against the Finns.
Grant Hanley’s lack of match sharpness could see him miss out on a spot in central defence
Ryan Christie has enjoyed a stellar season and will be unlucky if he misses out in midfield
Scott McTominay will come back into the midfield in an advanced position beside John McGinn. This the toughest call facing the manager, but my suspicion is that Ryan Christie will make way and be asked to make an impact from the bench. Callum McGregor and Billy Gilmour will sit deeper, tasked with breaking up attacks and building the play.Che Adams will start ahead of Lawrence Shankland purely because of his superior mobility.
CC: I expect Clarke to go with a 3-4-2-1 system. Gunn will start in goal and I would go with a back three of Hendry, Ryan Porteous and Tierney. I would go for Porteous as I just don’t think Hanley is fit enough to start a match of this magnitude.
He hardly played for Norwich last season and looked really rusty against Finland at Hampden last week. That said, Clarke trusts him and values his experience. If it was up to me, I’d go with Porteous.
Robertson and Ralston would be my wing-backs, with McGregor and McTominay in midfield. I would then have McGinn and Christie playing just off Adams. That means Gilmour misses out, which is probably harsh on him. But Gilmour is a ball player and I don’t expect us to see much of the ball against Germany.
Christie offers more energy to press and is a goal threat. That said, if McTominay isn’t fully fit, he could be the one to miss out and Gilmour could play.
Who will be the breakout star across the tournament?
JM: Turkey’s Arda Guler missed most of the domestic season with Real Madrid due to injury, but returned with a few games to spare to help seal the title and remind us why Fenerbahce made £23million from his sale a year ago.
When this attacking midfielder is on his game, he’s a joy to behold with his incredible dribbling skills and vision.
Turkey’s Real Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Guler could have a breakthrough tournament
Still just 19 years old, he’s set to take the world by storm in the coming years. He could serve notice by starring in a tight section which includes Portugal, the Czech Republic and Georgia.
CC: Benjamin Sesko of Slovenia. For any young striker to be mentioned in the same breath as Erling Haaland, there can be no higher praise. But that’s the sort of comparisons that have been made about Sesko as he’s come through the ranks of the Red Bull football machine, firstly at Salzburg in Austria and now at Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Still only 21, he scored 18 goals for Leipzig in all competitions last year in his first season with the club. He has 11 goals in 29 caps for Slovenia — and I fully expect him to add to that tally in the Euros. Tall, strong and deceptively quick, Sesko and the Slovenians should reach the knockout stage at the very least as I expect them to cause problems in a group featuring England, Denmark and Serbia.
Who are your dark horses?
JM: Belgium. In qualifying, they topped a tough group containing Sweden and Austria without losing a game.
Many of the golden generation like Eden Hazard, who seemed unable to handle the expectation on the big stage, have now retired.
However, they still can call upon the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku. Add to that players of the calibre of Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard and you have a squad that’s brimming with quality. Manager Domenico Tedesco has an abundance of options but — this time — no one is predicting that they will lift the trophy. That low-key approach will help them.
Benjamin Sesko is a huge talent for Slovenia and has many admires across the continent
They are listed eighth favourite in the betting to go all the way — priced around 22-1. Given they have Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine for company in Group E, that seems somewhat generous.
CC: I expect Slovenia and Hungary will cause a few shocks along the way. But, in terms of going all the way and winning the tournament, Portugal could go under the radar. Everyone seems to be talking about France and England as the two favourites, with Germany, Spain and Portugal in the next bracket. But, of those teams, I think Portugal are best placed to go deep in the tournament.
They will stroll through their group, with Turkey, Georgia and the Czechs unlikely to offer much opposition. Then, when the knockout stuff begins, you can guarantee Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Co will come alive. In Cristiano Ronaldo, they also have a man who thrives on the big occasions. Despite the fact he’s now 39 and playing in Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Ronaldo was to pop up and score some big goals in these Euros.
It’s a squad packed with talent and, in Roberto Martinez, they have a manager with a point to prove in major tournaments after falling short with Belgium. I expect a Portugal-France final.
Of course, no tournament would be complete without Cristiano Ronaldo making an impact
Are England going to go all the way?
JM: They certainly have the players in Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane. A group which sees them facing Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia should not present too many difficulties.
Assuming they top the section, they should win a last-16 game against the third-placed team from groups D, E or F in Gelsenkirchen on June 30.
A quarter-final opponent requires a lot of supposition, but Hungary or Italy look well placed to make it that far. England would probably come through that contest but would then face a rematch with France in the semis — a repeat of their epic last-eight clash in the World Cup in Qatar which was edged by Les Bleus. It will end there again.
Nice man though he is, Gareth Southgate is simply not a top-drawer manager.
After eight years in charge, he remains the missing link.
CC: No. I expect them to be knocked out in the semis against France. That will rightly be deemed a failure when you look at the abundance of talent at Southgate’s disposal. He is just too cautious as a manager. In terms of the talent available to him, he owns a Ferrari — but drives it like a Ford Fiesta.
Southgate is often labelled boring and cautious, but beware if he gets it right with England
Southgate has also got some major selection calls wrong. Jack Grealish should be in the squad.
He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but Grealish is exactly the sort of player and personality who would thrive at a major tournament knowing that he’s carrying the hopes of a nation.
And, finally, will Scotland make it past the group stage?
JM: Yes. Since the tournament moved to its current format, three points have often been enough to go through in third place. The key to happiness in that instance is to ensure your goal difference doesn’t take a battering in a game you lose.
Billy Gilmour will play a key role for Scotland and looked fairly relaxed doing his media duties
I believe Scotland can do enough to dispense with the need for favours from other groups, though. They can take a point from Germany and Hungary either side of a win over the Swiss in Cologne.
We have a squad filled with players who are at top clubs and are in or around their peak years. This is our time to go further than we’ve ever been before.
CC: I expect we will. Especially given that one win might well be enough to secure a place as one of the best third-placed teams. It would be a failure if Clarke and this group of players don’t reach the last 16.
