There are two fascinating encounters on display at the European Championships with Group A wrapping up. Can Germany maintain their unbeaten record? Can Scotland still progress?

Germany v Switzerland

While it wasn’t the all-encompassing 5:1 victory from the opening match in Munich, Germany showed again why they count amongst the title candidates: An impressive 2:0 victory over Hungary booked their ticket in the round of 16 and was a statement to the rest of the competition. The final third was brimming with goal threat and creativity, but it should also be mentioned how the conversation around Manuel Neuer’s starting spot has fizzled out following his first cleansheet of the competition. The 38-year-old enjoyed a shaky few weeks with FC Bayern and the German national team, but his 3 saves, including a stellar double parry on the 26th-minute mark, kept Hungary quiet. It’s hard not to feel for the 32-year-old Marc-Andre ter Stegen who is yet to play at a major tournament, but for the time being, Neuer is justifying his latest selection. 

Another German veteran who managed to quiet his doubters was 33-year-old İlkay Gündoğan. The Barcelona midfielder entered the tournament as Germany’s captain, but his spot in the starting eleven was not built on solid foundations. The former Manchester City midfielder had struggled to perform since Julian Nagelsmann’s appointment, and across the two underwhelming pre-tournament friendlies, he stood under heavy criticism. In the 0:0 draw with Ukraine Gündoğan was hooked off at halftime, while some of Germany’s best football in the narrow 2:1 victory over Greece was also played after the captain was subbed off. 

With just 1 goal & 0 assists in his last 13 national team appearances, many questioned how Gündoğan would be able to function in the attacking role Nagelsmann outlined for him, but with two matches of the tournament gone, it is evident that Gündoğan has the quality to breathe life into Germany’s attack. Gündoğan won the penalty for Germany’s 3rd goal against Scotland, and both scored and assisted in the 2:0 triumph over Hungary. Though the competition remains stark with Leroy Sane and Thomas Müller vying for his spot, Gündoğan is proving that he is the right man to bind the German midfield and attack. 

Unlike Germany, Switzerland were not able to earn back-to-back wins in group A, but the Rossocrociati are nevertheless unbeaten with their 1:1 draw with Scotland leaving them on 4 points. Switzerland went 1:0 down to their Scottish opponents following a deflected Scott McTominay finish, but Murat Yakin’s side quickly found their way back into the game again after a sensational strike from Xherdan Shaqiri. The diminutive 32-year-old forward underpinned his stellar reputation in international football with another goal at a major tournament. The ‘Alpine Messi’ has now scored 10 goals across 22 World Cup & European Championship fixtures, finding the net at least once in his past 6 major tournaments. 

While both sides are guaranteed to make it into the knockout stages, there shouldn’t be an obscene amount of rotation given how important top-spot could prove to be in Group A. A top-spot finish would likely pit you against Denmark in Group C, however, a defeat would involve the difficult task of beating tournament favorites Spain in the first knockout stage!

Prediction: Germany Win

Share

Scotland v Hungary

With both Scotland and Hungary failing to win after 2 matchdays, Sunday’s contest at the MHP-Arena in Stuttgart has the makings of a knockout stage fixture for both sides. Though both sides need a win to keep their round of 16 dreams alive, Scotland have the slightly better hand after gaining a point in a 1:1 draw with Switzerland on Wednesday. Unlike in the opener against Germany, it was the Tartan Army who had reason to celebrate early after taking the lead with just 13 minutes played. 

As so often, it was 27-year-old Scott McTominay who broke the deadlock. The Manchester United pro is a midfielder by trade, but he has routinely proven that he has a unique quality to become a goalscorer in key moments. The Scotsman scored 7 times in the 2023/24 Premier League season and was Scotland’s top goalscorer in qualification with a remarkable 7 goals in 8 fixtures. 

As for Hungary, they have their backs against the wall following 2 defeats in their opening 2 fixtures. Marco Rossi’s side were counted amongst the most highly touted dark horses, but Hungary have yet to show at the European Championships the clear quality their squad possesses. The Magical Magyars - a nickname given to the Hungarian national team following their golden decade in the 50s where they won Olympic Gold and made it to a World Cup final - were a counter-attacking force throughout the 90 minutes in Stuttgart, but in key moments, they ultimately lacked the quality to defend their goal or put away some well-crafted chances. 

Captain and star-man Dominik Szoboszlai is an unfortunate symbol of this poor form. The 23-year-old registered an assist against Switzerland but has otherwise been left remarkably quiet throughout the tournament. Against Germany, Szoboszlai managed just one shot on target and took just one of his 54 touches in the opponent’s penalty area. Szoboszlai is generally a remarkably consistent goalscorer for Hungary, but one can see the demons of a domestic goal drought potentially creeping into his form with the national side. Szoboszlai has not scored a goal for Liverpool since the 14th of March, with his last goal in the Premier League coming in a January fixture versus Chelsea. 

Prediction: Scotland Win