Scotland Euro 2024 Fixtures: Dates, Venues and Game Analysis | OneFootball

The Tartan Army will descend on Germany with the hope that Scotland can progress out of the group stages from the first time at a major international tournament. How likely is this to happen?

Group A contains the hosts, Germany, the perennial group qualifiers Switzerland, a resurgent Hungary, and a hopeful Scotland. The hosts will clearly be favourites to qualify from the group, albeit Germany are down in an unfamiliar 16th in the current FIFA rankings, though that still makes them the highest ranked nation in the group.

Switzerland’s past record will make them confident of qualification, whilst Hungary and Scotland have a group of talented players that have come together to give them a real chance at an escape from the group.

Group A – Matchweek One

Scotland will kick-off the tournament on Matchday 1, an honour that they also had at the World Cup in 1998 when they played Brazil in France and lost 2-1 despite a John Collins penalty. Whilst they may not have to take on prime Ronaldo in this match, it should still be a tough ask to turn over the hosts on the opening day.

Unsurprisingly, Scotland do not have a good record against Germany. There has been no Scottish win this century, despite having scored in each of the four matches in the 21st century. The Scots’ last win over Germany was in a friendly in 1999, with Don Hutchison scoring the winner in Bremen for the late, great Craig Brown’s side.

Group A – Matchweek Two

This is a fixture that has been rarely seen in international circles over the last few years. It is unknown to Squawka whether there is some secret emnity between the Scottish and Swiss FAs but there have only been two meetings between the countries in the last thirty years. Once in a friendly in 2006, which Switzerland won, and also in the group stages of Euro ’96 where Ally McCoist winner looked like taking Scotland through, until England conceded a late consolation goal to Holland in their famous 4-1 win.

Group A – Matchweek Three

Another rarely played international fixture rounds off Scotland’s group stage with a first meeting with Hungary since a 2018 friendly. Before that friendly, which Scotland won 1-0, the two nations hadn’t played each other since 2004, which, in turn, was the first time since the 1980s. The nations have followed a similar path in having their heydays in the 20th century and then becoming resurgent again in modern times.