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Steffen Schmidt - June 10, 2024
Germany lead the way in Group A while Switzerland, Scotland, and Hungary all have a legitimate shot at a knockout stage. Can either of the mentioned sides challenge the hosts in the battle for the top of the group? We provide important information about all four contestants in this highly entertaining section.
Germany are looking to bounce back after a decade of subpar performances in international football. Home soil is the best place to do so, particularly in a group in which they represent the most talented squad.
We all know how passionate the German fans are about football. You can expect an electric atmosphere in all three of the hosts’ matches in the group stage. When you add the immense young talent led by the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Kai Havertz, you get a proper candidate for the top of Group A.
All three of the mentioned stars have enjoyed fantastic campaigns for their respective clubs. Kai Havertz played all of Arsenal’s last 16 games of the season in the Premier League, delivering eight goals and six assists along the way. Florian Wirtz won the domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen, while Jamal Musiala produced 10 goals and 6 assists in 24 games in the previous Bundesliga term.
Toni Kroos, Niclas Fullkrug, and Nico Schlotterbeck featured in the recent UEFA Champions League final. Kroos finished his club career with another trophy in the elite continental competition. Can he repeat the accolades in the national team’s shirt?
Hansi Flick has tested different tactics in the team’s recent friendlies but the Mannschaft will likely feature in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Musiala, Gundogan, and Wirtz just behind Havertz up front.
Prediction: With all due respect to the rest of the pack in this section, Germany should have what it takes to finish the group at the top of the standings in front of their fans.
Many experts consider Switzerland as the strongest candidate for the second place in Group A. The bookmakers suggest so as well but we would not rate their chances any higher than those of Hungary or Scotland.
The main reason is the age of this squad. Three of the four most-capped players in the history of the Swiss national team are on this roster.
Granit Xhaka and Xerdan Shaqiri have made 123 and 121 appearances for the Nati respectively. While Xhaka enjoyed a fantastic club season with Bayer Leverkusen, Shaqiri got off to a slow start to the new MLS campaign, netting only 2 goals in 12 inaugural games for the Chicago Fire this year.
That said, Switzerland have always been known as an overachiever in the international tournaments. We can by no means underestimate them regardless of their slower campaign in the Euro qualifications.
Murat Yakin’s troops ended qualifying Group I in second place with just four victories in ten outings. It was an underwhelming record if we know their rivals included the likes of Romania, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo, and Andorra.
Prediction: Switzerland can by all means advance from this group considering the experience and the pedigree of the national team performances from their key players. They need to step up from an underwhelming qualifying run, though.
Scotland will search for their first win at an international tournament since Euro 1996. They will have the honour of opening the 2024 Euro with a clash against hosts Germany. While the Mannschaft might represent a tall task for Steve Clarke’s men, Scotland will have a legitimate opportunity to grab the much-wanted victory against the other two rivals in the section.
The Tartan Army will base their optimism on an outstanding qualifying campaign. The Scots have shocked Spain with a brace from Scott McTominay. Only four other players have scored more goals than Manchester United’s midfielder in the entire qualifying run.
The Tartan Army have a strong core in the likes of McTominay, John McGinn, Andy Robertson, and Kieran Tierney. McGinn was one of the key pieces of Aston Villa’s top-four finish in the previous Premier League term, while Robertson is still one of the best natural left-backs in the game.
The fact that Scotland finished the qualifying run six points above the likes of Norway in third place in Group A speaks volumes.
Prediction: A first win at the international tournament since Euro 1996 would likely take the Scots to the knockout phase. We would not be shocked to see them getting one on German soil.
Hungarian international football has grown drastically over the last several years. The team that had regularly failed to qualify for major competitions managed to achieve some very respectful results of late.
The peak of their rise happened in the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League. Magyarok were predicted to finish the section with Italy, England, and Germany at the foot of the standings without a single point. Instead, they went on to take second place in the group with three wins, one draw, and two defeats in six outings.
The Hungarians translated such a tremendous spell of form to the 2024 Euro qualifications. They topped Group G with five wins and three draws in eight affairs against Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania, and Bulgaria.
Hungary have also picked up a pair of clean-sheet wins over Kosovo and Turkey in friendlies across the March window this year. With a well-organized defence and a creator such as Dominik Szoboszlai in their ranks, Magyarok could cause problems for Scotland and Switzerland on their day.
The main problem is the weaker form of their key players ahead of the tournament. The team’s main striker Roland Sallai has only managed 3 goals and 2 assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances for Freiburg this season. Szoboszlai has even lost his place in Liverpool’s starting XI to Harvey Elliott in the finish of the Premier League campaign.
Prediction: Hungary have results to back them up in this section but beating any team in Group A will by no means be an easy task.
Fans see Switzerland as the most serious challenger to Germany’s supremacy in Group A. The outcome of this match will give us many answers. A comprehensive win for the hosts will not only get them much closer to winning the group but also boost their confidence ahead of the knockout stage challenges.
The winner of this tie will drastically increase their chances of advancing to the last 16 round. Neither outfit can hope for points in the clash against the hosts which makes their head-to-head encounter a crucial affair.
Group A will bring drama this way or another. We have Germany as the clear favourite and three other sides with pretty much equal chances of advancing. Will the hosts justify the tag? Which of the other three teams will shine on German soil? There are many questions and we can’t wait to get the answers this month.
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