Euro 2024: 'Got it all wrong' - Andy Robertson says Germany plan was 'a million times better' after Scotland's humbling

Scotland captain Andy Robertson said his side “got it all wrong” in their disastrous Euro 2024 debut, admitting that Germany’s plan “worked a million times better than ours.”

The tournament hosts kicked off the European Championship with a 5-1 thumping of 10-man Scotland, who were comprehensively outplayed as they failed to muster a single shot on goal.  

It was a rude awakening for the Tartan Army, who are bidding to reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time this summer.

With games against Switzerland and Hungary still to come in Group A, Robertson accepted that big improvements will need to be made fast.

"First half we got it all wrong really," he said. "We didn't really show up and their game-plan worked a million times better than ours did.

"Second half down to 10, I thought we dug in really well. We're well-backed here, we've got so many supporters and yet today was hugely disappointing.

"We have to bounce back quickly because there were a lot of things that were wrong and we have to sort it before Wednesday (against Switzerland)."

Germany’s victory was their biggest ever at a European Championship and the biggest by a host nation in a tournament opener.

Goals from Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala got the hosts off to a dream start in Munich before a rash challenge from Ryan Porteous earned the Scotland defender a red card and Kai Havertz the chance to convert Germany’s third from the penalty spot before half-time.

Substitutes Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can piled on the misery with further strikes either side of an own goal from Antonio Rudiger that provided scant consolation for the Scots.

Scotland were backed by tens of thousands of fans who poured into Germany for their first experience of an overseas major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.

And manager Steve Clarke was asked what message he had for the supporters after the game.

"Keep the faith. See you at the next game," he said. "The game ran away from us very quickly, obviously we conceded a third and with the sending off as well it was always going to be a difficult night and after that it was damage limitation.

"In the second half the boys gave everything they could to keep the scoreline reasonable but we have to move on from tonight. We will go away and analyse the game.

"I have never doubted my players. It was a difficult night and we didn't play to our standard. Germany were excellent and we couldn't get a foothold in the game.

"The players were disappointed, they felt they let themselves down, they are a better team than that and hopefully we can show that in the next two games.

"This was always going to be a tough night for us to get something. We need four points from the next two games and that's what we focus on."

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