Lachlan Avil 
Euro 2024 Group A Preview. Design: Round Ball Australia
The opening group of Euro 2024 is a collection of highly motivated teams, most of which are incredibly driven to right the wrongs of previous failings and take the tournament by storm.
Retribution for the Germans’ group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, a chance to finally get out of the groups for the Scots and optimism for the return of their mid-20th century success for Hungary, after a long spell of missed qualification.
The outlier perhaps, is Switzerland. Who unfortunately appear to be trending in the opposite direction in recent times.
Germany
FIFA World Ranking: 16th
Best Euros Finish: 3x Champions (1996, as West Germany in 1972 and 1980)
The proposition of a major tournament on home soil, with all of the competitive advantages and crowd support that follows, should always be a tantalising one for any nation.
However, just six months ago, the German national team may have been dreading the moment when kick-off finally arrived.
By the virtue of automatic qualification, Germany have been condemned to only friendlies since the Qatar World Cup. 18 months without competitive football is hardly ideal preparation.
In 2023, the Germans played 11 friendlies. Despite the highlight of a 2-1 win against France, their final record reads three wins, two draws and six losses.
Defeats against Austria, Turkey, Poland and Colombia hardly inspire the troops for what is likely the most significant international tournament of their careers.
2024 however, has shown new life. Undefeated in their four games, with wins against the Netherlands and France again, make much better reading heading into the tournament.
Squad Profile
There will be plenty of expectation placed on 36-year-old Julian Nagelsmann in his first major tournament as manager. But despite his young age, the Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich has already amassed a CV to be proud of.
Nagelsmann will benefit from strong club seasons from a number of his players.
Florian Wirtz, Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah were all part of Bayer Leverkusen’s astounding invincible domestic-double campaign – Leverkusen only lost one game all season long, the Europa League final against Atalanta.
Niclas Fullkrug made the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, only to fall to Antonio Rudiger & Toni Kroos’ Real Madrid, and Kai Havertz’s confidence has skyrocketed at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.
With the addition of 21-year-old sensation Jamal Musiala, the German front-line of Havertz and Wirtz is full of flair and bound to dazzle a few defences.
With the older heads like Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich behind them, there is a strong platform to ensure the German defence-first mindset is balanced with creative, attacking options.
One question mark does come in goals. Despite a wildly successful career, Manuel Neuer’s recent years have been plagued by injury, from a skiing accident after the 2022 World Cup.
Some errors between the sticks – including one that granted Greece the lead in their final warm up game – have prompted calls for Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen to be given the preference. However, Nagelsmann has made it clear that Neuer is his number one option in goals.
Expectations
Despite any inferences made from recent form, there is no doubting that German fans will only have their eyes on one outcome for this tournament: the trophy.
Perhaps in time, defeat to France, England or the likes in the latter stages of the knockout rounds could be understood. But a chance to win a major trophy on home soil only comes around once in a generation, Germany’s time is now.
Topping Group A will allow Germany to avoid another group winner until the semi-finals, which will be the absolute minimum requirement for them on their own turf.
Scotland
FIFA World Ranking: 39th
Best Euros Finish: Missed out on knockout stage by third tiebreaker in 1996
Five straight wins in qualification against the likes of Spain and Norway showed plenty of promise for Scotland. However, only one win in their last nine (against Gibraltar) leaves much to be desired.
It must be said that friendly losses against England, France and the Netherlands hardly show a lack of ambition to develop their game against the World’s best.
But all together, the Scottish form line leaves more questions than answers. The gauntlet of group favourites and hosts, Germany in the opening fixture likely won’t be decisive in terms of their knockout aspirations, so growing into the tournament will be key.
Squad Profile
Guiding Scotland to just their third and fourth Euros appearances in back-to-back style has endeared Steve Clark to the Scottish public, but will no doubt be looking to go one better this time around.
A pragmatist by nature, Clark spent 185 games under the tutelage of José Mourinho at Chelsea in the early 2000s.
One his biggest issues during his time with Scotland has been trying to fit two of the nation’s best players, Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney – both left backs – into the same starting XI.
The settled solution seems to be Tierney on the left side of a back-three, with Roberston taking up a more advanced role, akin to a wing-back further up the field.
23-year-old playmaker Billy Gilmour is the young star to look out for, a permanent move to Brighton has revitalised his career, and will be looking to make an impact after his covid-affected Euro 2020 campaign.
Complemented in midfield by Scott McTominay, John McGinn and Callum McGregor, all arguably in the peak of their careers, the Scottish side is full of perfectly primed footballers, ready for their crack at an historic run.
One potential question mark does come at striker. The absence of Lyndon Dykes due to injury makes the decision slightly easier, but there will still be competition between Lawrence Shankland and Ché Adams for the starting spot.
Expectations
On paper, Group A represents a very legitimate opportunity for Scotland to advance to the knockout stages of the European Championships for the very first time.
And it is that marker of escaping the group stage that will the benchmark of success for the Scots at this tournament.
Of course, by the nature of the tournament structure, it has never been easier to escape the group stage of the Euros. But it is the brave new world of the knockout phase at a major tournament – never before visited by Scotland – that will be the goal of the Tartan Army.
Hungary
FIFA World Ranking: 26th
Best Euros Finish: Third Place 1964
Undefeated in not only their qualification group, but in all but one of their last 18 matches, the Hungarians will storm into Germany, full of confidence after also beating both England and Germany in the Nations League.
Since their appearances at the then four-team tournament in ’64 and ’72, Hungary failed to qualify for another European finals until 2016 in France, where they made the round of 16.
Germany ’24 however will be their third consecutive Euros appearance and optimism has never been higher for one of the dark horses of the competition.
Squad Profile
Italian manager Marco Rossi has been at the helm of the national team since 2018 and has relied heavily on his youth to propel the team into a new era.
Defender Attila Fiola is the only outfield player over the age of 31 and the team is led by 23-year-old talisman, Dominik Szoboszlai, who was appointed as captain back in 2022.
They will look to play mainly in transition off the back of a 5-3-2, allowing room to flex their creative muscles going forward.
Whilst the names on the Hungarian team sheet may not seem like much to worry about individually, the passion and unity that they play together with is clear to see, and is an indisputable factor to their recent form.
The RB Leipzig pairing of goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and Willi Orban will set out to lock down the defensive end and allow the freedom of the midfielders and forwards at the other.
Fans of the Asian game may recognise Martin Adam. Dubbed ‘The Hungarian Viking’ for his stature, Adam plies his trade in South Korea with Ulsan, who were defeated by Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F Marinos in the semi-finals of this year’s Asian Champions League.
Expectations
There is no doubt that Hungarian fans will have high expectations on this team. Perhaps not so much in a full European context, but definitely when considered relative to their past endeavours.
Never have Hungary come into a modern-day major tournament with a better track record.
With the sting of a group-stage exit at Euro 2020 against France, Germany and Portugal fresh on the minds of many, winning games in the knockout phase will be the expectation placed on this trailblazing team.
Their matchup against Scotland, will likely be the most significant hurdle to achieving that goal.
Switzerland
FIFA World Ranking: 19th
Best Euros Finish: Quarter Finals at Euro 2020
Last time out, Switzerland were the giant killers. A strong hand from Yann Sommer in a penalty shootout, so far the only thing that has denied Kylian Mbappe’s France an appearance in a major tournament final.
However, you have to go back since before the previous World Cup to find the last time that Switzerland got the better of a top-tier opposition – a 2-1 win against Spain in September of 2022, in the Nations League.
The Swiss only managed second in a relatively soft qualification group, finishing five points behind Romania. The remaining competition including Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra, in addition to a weak set of friendlies since, have not allowed for the best preparation.
Whilst that series of fixtures only reads with one loss, seven draws would have been below expectation against the quality of opposition they faced.
Squad Profile
Rumoured tension between the manager, Swiss national Murat Yakin and some players, doesn’t bode well for a team heading into a major tournament.
Yakin survived a vote of confidence from the Swiss Soccer Federation late last year, after public criticism from national team captain, Granit Xhaka,
Xhaka himself will be full of individual confidence after he was also part of Bayer Leverkusen’s record-breaking season. Whilst the presence of Manuel Akanji, Sommer and other stalwarts including Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabian Schär provide plenty of familiar names.
However, as familiar as they may be, there is a growing sentiment that this team’s peak may be behind them. Injury concerns to Breel Embolo and Denis Zakaria provide further doubt over the Swiss’ hopes.
The spine of the team, as mentioned above, has plenty of quality. There is no doubt that if the team is unified and the right pieces fall into place, Switzerland could go on to do great things in this tournament.
But, at this stage it feels like the list of ifs, buts and maybes is growing slightly too long.
Expectations
Following up the success of Euro 2020 will be a tall order for Switzerland this campaign.
Whilst the underlying quality is there, likely competing for the second automatic spot against Scotland and Hungary – two teams that are extremely unified and all pushing in the same direction – may be too much of an ask.
Three points against either will get them in the running, but to simply get out of the group with their tournament still alive, given all the turmoil they’ve endured, has to be the goal for the Swiss.