Test Match: Scotland Struggles to Win Against Gibraltar
Germany’s first Euro opponent, Scotland, is still finding its footing. In a test match against Gibraltar, things didn’t go as smoothly as expected.
With a lot of effort, Scotland secured its first victory in 269 days, gaining some confidence before the opening match of the Euro against the German national team. The team, led by coach Steve Clark, managed to defeat the football minnow Gibraltar 2-0 (0-0) and ended a streak of seven games without success.
It took almost an hour for the first goal to be scored in Faro, Portugal: Ryan Christie from the English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth found the net from close range after battling his way past a teammate and two opponents (58th minute). Che Adams added another goal just before the final whistle (85th).
In the first half, Scotland dominated the game at the Euro 2004 stadium in the Algarve, taking 20 shots but only managing to hit the target twice against the 203rd ranked team in the world. Their last victory came on September 8, 2023, with a 3-0 win over Cyprus; since then, they had two draws and five losses.
Scotland will face Germany on June 14 in Munich as the first opponent in Group A. Additionally, the Scots will play against Switzerland in Cologne on June 19 and Hungary in Stuttgart on June 23. Their final Euro preparation match will be against Finland in Glasgow on Friday at 20:45.
Croatia, the third-place finisher in the World Cup, is gearing up for the Euro with their fifth consecutive victory. Under coach Zlatko Dalic, Croatia defeated North Macedonia convincingly with a 3-0 scoreline. Lovro Majer from Wolfsburg scored twice (10th and 45th minute), while former Dortmund player Marko Pasalic sealed the win (79th).
Despite missing their veteran star Luka Modric, who will join the team later after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, Croatia controlled the game early on in Rijeka. After taking the lead, the hosts maintained their dominance and limited their opponents‘ opportunities.
In another match, Albania, Croatia’s group opponent, also won 3-0 against Liechtenstein. The goals for the Euro participant were scored by Armando Broja (31st), Jasir Asani (47th), and Ernest Muci (67th).
Later in the evening, England secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The goals came in the second half at St. James Park in Newcastle, with Cole Palmer converting a penalty in the 60th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold scoring in the 85th minute, and Harry Kane finding the net in the 89th minute shortly after coming on as a substitute for the „Three Lions.“