Surprises beyond "5 to 1", opening match of European Cup
The quadrennial football feast - the 2024 European Cup finally kicked off in the early morning of the 15th Beijing time. In the much-anticipated opening match, the favorite host Germany team shook off the haze of losing the first games of recent major tournaments, and finally defeated Scotland 5-1 to get off to a good start.
The result of the opening game was enough to surprise the fans. In fact, there were many interesting tidbits surrounding the opening game that were even more impressive than the result.
Before the opening match, the opening ceremony of the European Cup was full of emotion - Heidi, the widow of German football legend Beckenbauer, walked into the stadium holding the "Delaunay Cup" in her hands. She was accompanied by Dietz, the captain of the 1980 European Cup champion team, and Klinsmann, the "Golden Bomber" who was a member of the 1996 European Cup champion team. A short film paying tribute to Beckenbauer was played on the big screen of the Allianz Arena to commemorate the football star who passed away earlier this year.
This is Beckenbauer greeting his friends during a TV interview before the semi-final between Germany and Spain in the 2010 World Cup held in Durban, South Africa on July 7, 2010.
The German goalkeeper Neuer became the focus after the game. First of all, Neuer's starting lineup. As one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it is not news that Neuer starts the game. But this time, because of his age, he became the subject of discussion among fans. Neuer is 38 years old, but the head coach of the German team is only 36-year-old coach Nagelsmann. So, when he sent the 38-year-old Neuer to start, he inadvertently made history. This is the first time in the history of the European Cup that a head coach sent a starting player older than himself.
Secondly, in this big win, Neuer received the lowest score of the team. Due to the limited strength of the Scottish team, Neuer encountered almost no challenges throughout the game. In the end, Neuer made 0 saves, 0 attacks, 0 high ball interceptions, 0 hits, and 15 touches, and was rated 6.3 points, the lowest in the team.
Photo, Munich, June 14, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer during the game.
On the same day, in the first round of Group A of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Munich, Germany, host Germany defeated Scotland 5-1.
At the end of the first half of the game, when Scottish center back Porteous was clearing the ball, his studs stepped hard on the calf of German captain Gundogan in a panic. After watching the VAR replay, referee Tirpan showed Porteous a red card and awarded a penalty kick. This penalty gave both the first penalty kick and the first red card of this European Cup.
At the end of the second half, the German team, which was already leading 4-0 and had one more player, lost focus in the back line. Real Madrid center back Rudiger accidentally "looked back at the moon" while defending a high ball, and accidentally hit the ball into his own goal. This was the first own goal of this European Cup.
Red cards, penalties, and own goals often occur in football matches, but it is very rare for them to occur at the same time in a match, especially in the opening match of a major tournament. According to statistics, this is the first time in the history of the European Cup that a red card, a penalty, and an own goal have occurred in the regular time of a single match. Germany and Scotland have inadvertently created a new history in the 64-year history of the European Cup. Perhaps such a wonderful and dramatic opening match also indicates that this European Cup is destined to be an unforgettable one for fans.
Photo, Munich, June 14th local time, the referee pointed to the penalty spot after watching the video replay.
On the same day, in the first round of Group A of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Munich, Germany, host Germany defeated Scotland 5-1.
The disastrous defeat in the opening match was obviously a bad start for the Scottish team. In fact, the Scottish team is the most unlucky team in this European Cup. Before the European Cup, Queens Park Rangers striker and main center forward Lyndon Dykes injured his ankle in training and was forced to withdraw from the squad. Lewis Ferguson, Hickey and Patterson also missed the game due to injuries. It is worth noting that Hickey was the main force during the Scottish team's winning streak in the first half of the qualifiers. In the Scottish team's "3421 system", the wingback plays a very important role. His absence has greatly weakened the team's offense and defense on the right side. In addition, Liverpool winger Bendok has been recovering from injuries since December last year. Although he was included in the preliminary list, he still withdrew due to injury.
The Scottish team's lineup depth is obviously insufficient compared to the German team, not to mention that several main substitutes missed the roster due to injuries. Now the disastrous defeat is adding insult to injury.
Photo, Munich, June 14, Germany player Phil Kruger scores a goal during the game.
On the same day, in the first round of Group A of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Munich, Germany, host Germany defeated Scotland 5-1.
