Vote! Player ratings: Germany 5-1 Scotland

“I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

That was Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann ahead of EURO 2024, as relayed by the Fox commentary team during the Germans’ 5-1 dismantling of Scotland to kick off the tournament. It was the biggest victory in Germany’s European Championship history.

It certainly seems he was onto something.

Three years ago Germany kicked off EURO 2020 with a tough loss to France, and while the match was hard-fought it did nothing for the flagging confidence of Die Mannschaft — which did not really get going. The Germans barely got out of the group stage, and promptly lost to England.

This time the vibes are good. Real good. Nagelsmann is flashing a suffocating vertical style with real verve in attack. Led by early goals from Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musial and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, it was a steamroller from the outset. Nagelsmann’s XI looked sharp, and substitutes — like Borussia Dortmund pair Niclas Füllkrug and Emre Can — were lethal.

The fans are loving it, too.

Now the question becomes: can they keep this going?

Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Germany’s massive EURO 2024-opening win over Scotland? Good, because the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show has you covered! We’ve got takes on Julian Nagelsmann’s lineup, the brilliance of Toni Kroos, Germany’s relentless attack, and why Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala are probably winning over a lot of new fans. You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: