Hungary vs Switzerland live: Euro 2024 starting line-ups and build-up to Group A fixture

Euro 2024 is upon us, as Germany hosts its first major men’s tournament since 2006 – with the national team seeking its first trophy in a decade.

Some fancy Julian Nagelsmann’s team to defy expectations on home soil, while there is naturally significant faith in France, as the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up.

Can England finally get over the line under Gareth Southgate, three years after losing the delayed Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley? And if so, will Harry Kane claim his second international Golden Boot?

Or will a younger star steal the spotlight, as clubs and coaches around Europe keep an eye out for the ‘next big thing’ in the summer transfer market?

So, Robertson was damning about his team’s performance, and he wasn’t the only one.

Souness, who won over 50 caps for Scotland and represented them at the 1978, ‘82 and ‘86 World Cups, decried his national side as being so poor as to not really being able to give a good gauge of whether Germany had performed well or not.

“We were miserable. I’m so disappointed, we let ourselves down badly tonight,” Souness said after the match. “I can’t really tell you how good this Germany team are because Scotland were so bad. We’ll have to see how they do against a decent side.”

More from Souness below, as well as what Keane had to say. Spoiler alert, he did not hold back (surprise, surprise)…

Keane, meanwhile, did not hold back in criticising a lack of tactical discipline, willingness to show fighting spirit and technical ability from Scotland.

“They were second best in every aspect of the game tonight. Physically, tactically, even mentally,” he said. “They showed a little fighting spirit in the second half as you’d expect, but the difference in quality was chalk and cheese. They were out of their depth.

Excitement is building for today’s games, but will the atmosphere of any fixture at this tournament beat that of last night’s opening salvo?

The atmosphere at Germany vs Scotland was years in the making, for numerous reasons.

Here’s a piece on the overwhelming occasion in Munich on Friday evening:

Sandro Tonali is out after the Newcastle midfielder picked up a 10-month ban in October following betting breaches. While Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie is out through injury, as are Nicolo Zaniolo, Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini.

Nicolo Barella and Nicolo Fagioli are doubts, although they have returned to full training, so if they do pull through, they could challenge Bryan Cristante for a start.

Sokol Cikallesh missed out on Sylvinho’s squad. While Chelsea’s Armando Broja is likely to lead the line and Inter Milan’s Kristjan Asllani will offer quality.

Italy XI: Donnarumma; Darmian, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Di Lorenzo, Cristante, Jorginho, Dimarco; Chiesa, Frattesi; Scamacca

Albania XI: Strakosha; Hysaj, Kumbulla, Djimsiti, Mitaj; Bajrami, Asllani, Ramadani; Asani, Broja, Hoxha

Spain could make history should Lamine Yamal take to the field. If he does so, the Barcelona starlet will be the youngest player to appear at the tournament at 16 years and 338 days old. David Raya is likely to be on the bench, with Unai Simon more likely to start in goal.

For Croatia, Ivan Perisic recovered from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury to make his return in the final weeks of the season and is expected to be fully fit for the tournament.

Spain XI: Simon, Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Grimaldo, Rodri, Olmo, Ruiz, Yamal, Morata, Williams

Croatia XI: Livakovic, Stanisic, Vida, Gvardiol, Sosa, Brozovic, Kovacic, Modric, Kramaric, Petkovic, Perisic

He has only scored four goals in 34 caps for his country and is yet to replicate that form consistently in an England shirt but Stones feels Foden could prove the outstanding individual in Germany in the next month.

“Yes, I’m biased, I think he’s absolutely incredible,” he said. “First how he plays the game, so silky playing like he’s in the park. I feel like he has brought so much to his game. Goals, maturity, knowing of situations, his pressing. This season has been incredible for him and I hope and I’m sure he will bring that to the tournament.”

It has been a cruel few weeks for the senior players who have been the stalwarts of Gareth Southgate’s reign. They have been dropped and demoted, their feelings hurt sometimes while bodies have given way. John Stones had been a survivor of the Southgate cull, but there was a moment when it seemed he, too, would miss Euro 2024.

It came minutes into England’s final friendly against Iceland. A stricken Stones went down under a challenge from Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson. “I knew it wasn’t my knee or my ankle, because of the mechanism in how I landed, it was almost like my big toe in the line straight down my foot and you think ‘I have fractured it’,” he recalled.

The curse of the metatarsal has hit England in the past, broken feet, or bones in feet, a factor in summer disappointments. It looked as though 2024 could be a throwback to 2002 or 2006. If Stones’ importance has risen amid the injury problems of Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, it looked as though Southgate could lose his only centre-back with World Cup or European Championship experience.