By Alexandra Hudson
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) – Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his tight-knit Germany team for an utterly dominant display in their 5-1 victory over 10-man Scotland in the Euro 2024 opener, saying he did not want to single out individuals but focus on their joint success.
Germany scored through Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and a Kai Havertz penalty in the first half before Niclas Fuellkrug and Emre Can added two more late in the second period.
“Even though today was only the first step, it was a very good one. We can build on this and we’re very happy,” he said after Germany’s triumphant start to the campaign in Munich.
“It’s great that we scored several goals, it gives everyone a good feeling,” he said. “In the first 20 minutes we were extremely good, we were very dominant and very aggressive, we made no mistakes.”
Germany’s young attackers, 21-year-olds Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, sent a clear message that they are ready to lead the team into a new era, each scoring a goal apiece.
Asked if they, like former Germany players Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger in 2006, could trigger a wave of national excitement and reinvigorate the team, Nagelsmann said the victory was shared by everyone.
“I don’t want to pick out individual performances … it’s about the unit as a whole. The players do everything to make sure the player next to them looks good too.
“The fans perhaps believe in us a little bit more now than they did before the game.”
Musiala, named man of the match, said the high score had given Germany self belief to take into their clash with Hungary.
“To win this comfortably was a good sign. We can take that confidence into the next game and we won’t let it go to our heads.”
Germany face Hungary on Wednesday before taking on Switzerland in their final Group A match.
(Reporting by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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