In a disappointing turn of events, Scotland's national team faced a crushing defeat in the opening match of Euro 2024 against Germany. The Tartan Army's optimism quickly faded as the three-time European champions emerged as 5-1 victors in a one-sided game.

Florian Wirtz wasted no time in putting Germany ahead, scoring within the first 10 minutes of the match. The situation worsened for Scotland as Jamal Musiala doubled Germany's lead in a disastrous first half. To add insult to injury, Ryan Porteous received a straight red card, resulting in a Kai Havertz penalty that all but sealed Scotland's fate by half-time.

The second half saw substitute Niclas Füllkrug extend Germany's lead to 4-0 before a late own goal by Antonio Rüdiger gave the Scotland fans something to cheer about. However, Emre Can's injury-time goal secured Germany's resounding victory, making it the biggest win in the opening match in the tournament's 66-year history.

Anticipation for Scotland's first international tournament on foreign soil since the 1998 World Cup in France brought fans together in pubs and fan zones across the country. Approximately 200,000 dedicated supporters even made the journey to Germany to rally behind Steve Clarke's men.

Despite the tough challenge of facing the tournament hosts, many fans remained upbeat ahead of the game. Jennifer Morrison, the event manager at Glasgow's Merchant Square, revealed that preparations for the highly-anticipated match had been in motion for months, with hundreds of fans streaming through the doors.

The initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment as the Scots struggled to keep up with Germany's dominance. David Hunter from Hamilton expressed his deflated mood, acknowledging the difficulty in obtaining a positive result in Munich. He emphasized that it was now a matter of damage limitation.

However, some fans remained hopeful, looking ahead to Scotland's remaining fixtures against Switzerland on Wednesday and Hungary on June 23rd. Ally McGinnigal from Dennistoun maintained a positive outlook, acknowledging that anything could happen in football and that unexpected victories would be a bonus for the Scottish team.

While the defeat cast a sense of gloom across the country, fans in Munich's fan park remained optimistic about the future. They expressed confidence in facing Switzerland and Hungary, stating that both teams were not on the same level as Germany.

Despite the unfavorable result, supporters in various fan zones aimed to keep their spirits up. Megan, who was unable to watch the match in pubs due to age restrictions, appreciated the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the game in dedicated spaces.

As Scotland licks its wounds and looks to bounce back, the team will need to regroup and refocus for their upcoming matches. With two games left in the group stage, hopes remain for a resurgence that could see Scotland salvage their Euro 2024 campaign.