A Guide to Scotland’s Group A Opponents
All the key bits you need to know about the Tartan Army’s competition for a ticket out of the group stages
GERMANY
Manager
Once Europe’s hottest managerial prospect, an underwhelming spell at Bayern Munich followed by some mixed results with the national team has dampened the hype around Julien Nagelsmann. Eight years from becoming the Bundesliga’s youngest ever coach at the tender age of 28, Nagelsmann will hope to use this upcoming competition to remind the football world of his talents. The tournament however, will be telling of his suitability for international management given his need for strong understanding to cohesively press.
Key Player
Toni Kroos returned to international duty 3 years after announcing his retirement. They proceeded to beat France and the Netherlands in convincing fashion. His absence against Ukraine on Monday was felt was again as they could break a solid Ukraine down, finishing with a 0-0 draw. With the Greifswald born player announcing his retirement from the sport after the tournament, he will be hope to cap winning his sixth Champions League title with his first Euro title (he has already won the World Cup to be fair).
How they qualified
Germany qualified automatically as hosts and played friendlies during the qualifying period. Results were poor enough to get Hansi Flick the sack. Their record now reads 5W, 2D and 6L, one of the defeats at home to Japan (4-1) that marked the end for the now Barcelona manager. A tragic case of falling upwards.
Tactics
Nagelsman is all about intense pressing and verticality. Getting the ball from back to front as quickly as possible. Despite the 4-2-3-1, the formations will mostly be useless as reference to where players will be when attacking but certain positions will remain consistent. Expect an emphasis on attack and pressing high up the pitch with constant rotations from players (Fulkrug apart who is as old school as they come). Defensively, they are vulnerable to counter-attacks and there is space on their left hand side as the wing-backs, usually Maximilian Mittelstädt, who often push high up.
How are they expected to do?
They are hosts and with one of the world’s best pedigrees combined with recent victories France and the Netherlands have put them not far off favourites. They are still behind the French and England and for good reason, recent years have been a struggle with the notable low of a group stage exit at the past two World Cups. The squad is also one of the weakest in recent memory. They should get out the group but anything further than the quarters would be a success for Die Mannschaft.
HUNGARY
Manager
Italian Marco Rossi could split his life in two parts, before and after Hungary. Prior to taking over as Budapest Honvéd manager, he had floated around the Italian lower leagues. Impressing in Easter Europe (including a spell in Slovakia) landed Rossi the national job in 2018. Since, they have qualified for all three major tournaments since and he has turned the Magyars into something of a force in Europe, having now gone 14 games unbeaten, during which they beat England 4-0 away from home. Rossi is now a national treasure and whatever happens in Germany, the country will always be grateful for his work in restoring national pride into the football.
Key Player
Of course it’s almost impossible to look past Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool player, national team captain and face of Hungarian football. However huge credit must go to centre-back Willi Orban. The German born defender only committed to Hungary in 2018 at the age of 25 but he has been instrumental in keeping the side organised at the back and keeping clean sheets against England and Germany in the Nation’s League last year. His absence in the games against Lithuania and Bulgaria in qualifying was notable as they drew both games they had won with ease in the reverse fixtures.
How they qualified
Hungary topped group G, and never looked in danger of missing out despite the aforementioned draws. The only other team of note, Serbia, were beaten home and away. Szoboszlai and Barnabás Varga finished as their top scorers in qualifying with four apiece. Varga has enjoyed a bit a Vardy-esque late career bloom at the age of 29 and with 29 goals this season for Hungarians champions Ferencváros, he will hope to show that he can do the same on the Europe’s biggest stage.
Tactics
Consistency has been the name of the game for Rossi, his 3-5-2 from the last Euros changing into a 3-4-2-1 in the four years since. Defensively, they are arguably the most solid of their group and Varga’s emergence combined with Sbozo finally being available having missed 2020 through injury means that they now have an attacking presence to fear. The risks will lie in the wing-backs who leave space behind them when supporting attacks but Scotland’s almost identical line-up could nullify this problem.
How are they expected to do?
With three potential places to qualify, fans will believe they have it in them to get the job done and will see Switzerland, rather than Scotland as the real challengers for second place. Having drawn with Germany as they finished bottom of their group four years ago, they will be further buoyed by recent giant killings and might even have an eye on topping the group. The Magyars may no longer be magical, but they certainly aren’t minnows.
SWITZERLAND
Manager
Murat Yakin’s name will feel like an ear-worm for some Chelsea fans. That’s because he did the double on them in the 2014-15 Champions League season as Basel manager. A rising star in European management, Yakin’s aura dimmed in the decade that has followed to the point that he admitted surprise at receiving a call for the job whilst he managed in the Swiss second division, having only one a third of his games in charge of Schaffhausen. Since, he has helped the Rossocrociati qualify for the past two major tournaments. There are questions as to whether he is simply getting by on the work of predecessor Vladimir Petković and results since his appointment indicate that perhaps Basel was his ceiling. Getting past the group stages could help restore his stock to the highest its been in a decade.
Key Player
When Granit Xhaka was sold to Bayer Leverkusen, it appeared to be the first signs of a career winding down. Instead, the former Gunner became a key player in a historic season during which Bayer lost just one game. He is the heart and soul of this team and, with his discipline improving, could be the difference between progression and an early exit.
How they qualified
Despite a relatively easy group, with their toughest opponents being Romania and Israel, Switzerland laboured to second place winning only 40% of their games, half of those coming against Andorra. Ending with four games without a win was not an ideal way to boost morale prior to the tournament either.
Tactics
One of three teams in this group using three at the back, Switzerland differ in that their wing-backs are less aggressive in attack than their rivals. Xhaka is the face of a group of experienced players provding solidity through the middle. Problems have emerged in side’s creative department. The strike-force is reeling from the absence of Breel Embolo and since Haris Seferovic’s absence from the national team neither Noah Okafor nor Ruben Vargas have come close to compensating. Yatkin has attempted to deploy two attacking midfielders behind the number 9 to compensate for this, but it has often resulted in a clogged up centre whilst taking away potential threats out wide. Bar Shaqiri, 19 goals from a total from 123 caps from the attacking force is a huge concern.
How are they expected to do?
Switzerland have developed a reputation as tournament specialists but this could be their first group stage exit since 2010. A combination of fading stars, inexperienced newcomers and a manager out his depth could be all the wrong ingredients for an underwhelming summer serve-up for the country whose unofficial motto is the same as the Three Musketeers. Despite low expectations, fans will hope things can end better than the 6-1 trouncing that ended their World Cup in the Round of 16.
