The UEFA European Championship is fast approaching, with the action getting underway in Germany with the opening ceremony and first game on Friday 14th, June. The pack has been reduced to just 24 teams who will battle it out across ten host cities in a gruelling group campaign before progressing to the knockout stages. The scene is set for a thrilling soccer festival, and it’s anyone’s guess which nation will end on the top step and be crowned European champion.

Will Germany make their home advantage count and win the trophy to become the competition’s most decorated club? It’s certainly possible, and they have a fantastic opportunity when cheered on by the home support. Spain is snapping at its heels and could also become the tournament’s top team with a win. To make things interesting, the leading sportsbooks make England the pre-competition favourites.

Let’s shine the spotlight on Group A, which has four teams.

Germany

As the host nation, Germany didn’t need to go through the drama of qualifying for Euro 2024. Their participation was guaranteed, and although it makes perfect sense to allow the locals to qualify automatically for the finals, it does rob Team Germany of the chance to gain confidence from a strong qualifying campaign. It also robs football fans and bettors of the chance to study Germany’s recent form, check on the progress of their best players, study the emerging talent, and make predictions on how they’ll perform at the championships.

Instead of relying on Germany’s recent form, we must go back further and check how the successful nation has played at past European Championships. Germany is the joint best performer at the Euros alongside Spain, but they have appeared at more championships, which, for some, makes them the best of the bunch. There’s little in it, with Germany and Spain both winning three titles each and if the home team wins this summer’s competition, they’ll leave the competition in their shadow. Germany won this trophy in 1972, 1980, and, most recently, in 1996 on English soil.

Scotland

Scotland hadn’t qualified for a European Championship since England in 1996 when they exited at the group stage, losing their three games before packing up and heading back across the border. They then qualified for World Cup 1998 in France when, again, they ended up leaving at the conclusion of the groups. The Tartan Army didn’t grace another major international tournament until Euro 2020, when they snuck in through the backdoor of the Nations League, a competition manager Steve Clarke has enjoyed during his time as boss.

Scotland didn’t make it out of the group stage at the last Euros, meaning they’ve never escaped the first phase in any World Cup or European Championship. Will that all change this year? It’s certainly possible, and Scotland did extremely well to make it to Germany, even beating Spain in the qualifiers. They finished as runners-up in the qualifying pool behind the Spaniards and were the first team to secure their place in Germany. With a strong qualifying campaign in the bank, it’s time to focus on finally getting out of the group.

Hungary

The third of four teams involved in Euro 2024 Group A is Hungary, which will fancy its chances of progressing to the knockout stages behind pool favourites Germany. The Hungarians did their part during qualifiers, making it to Germany in good style and, when looking at Scotland and Switzerland, they’ll think to themselves, why can’t we make it through and keep our dreams alive? And they’d be entitled to believe they can as Hungary, on paper, looks the second strongest team behind the hosts. Being good enough to go through and actually progressing are two very different things. Hungary knows they must be at their best in Germany.

The Hungarians won Euro 2024 qualifying Group G ahead of Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania, and Bulgaria. They posted stats of five wins and three draws, scoring 16 goals and conceding just seven. When taking a closer look at those numbers, we note they are one of only a few unbeaten teams in qualifying and find themselves in great company alongside fellow unbeaten nations like England, Belgium, and Portugal. Hungary didn’t endure an overly difficult qualifying campaign in terms of meeting big teams, but they did what was expected of them and are here on merit.

Switzerland

The Swiss are in town and will believe it’s between them and the Hungarians for that silver medal position behind Germany in the group and a place in the next round. Most pundits and teams are happy to write off Scotland, but this pool will be much closer than people think, and Switzerland has a part to play. It would come as no surprise to see them mix it in the knockout stages and it’s also possible that Germany, after not needing to qualify, could start slow, growing into the challenge. This pool is there for the taking, and few will write off the Swiss this early. They start against Hungary, and we’ll know more after we get the result of that game on matchday one.

Switzerland qualified as runners-up behind the unbeaten Romania in Euro 2024 qualifying Group I, with their stats showing four wins, five draws, and one defeat with 22 goals scored and 11 conceded. The Swiss were one of the highest scorers in the pools, but their defence was far from reliable, and that’s something they must address before arriving in Germany. An entertaining team, Switzerland try to out-score their opponents, and although that’s a fan-friendly approach, it’s not a tactic adopted by too many European champions.

Group A fixtures

• Germany vs Scotland – 14th June – Munich
• Hungary vs Switzerland – 15th June – Cologne
• Germany vs Hungary – 19th June – Stuttgart
• Scotland vs Switzerland – 19th June – Cologne
• Switzerland vs Germany – 23rd June – Frankfurt
• Scotland vs Hungary – 23rd June – Stuttgart

Head-to-head analytics

• Germany vs Scotland: These teams have met nine times since 1974, with Germany winning seven, Scotland claiming one, and the other game ending in a draw. The most recent match was a 3-2 win for Germany in 2015.
• Hungary vs Switzerland: Since 1994, The Swiss have six wins against the one of Hungary with two draws. The sides last met in 2017 when Switzerland won 5-2.
• Germany vs Hungary: Since 1994, the host nation has three wins, with Hungary on two and three draws. The sides met in September 2022 when the Hungarians won 1-0.
• Scotland vs Switzerland: These teams have had two previous meetings since 1996, and they have boast one win each. The most recent was a 3-1 win for Switzerland in 2006.
• Switzerland vs Germany: The locals have enjoyed four wins over the Swiss, who have one win (since 1995). Interestingly, these sides have drawn three times in that period, including a 3-3 finish in 2020.
• Scotland vs Hungary: The pair have met only twice since 2004 with the head-to-head stats stuck at one win each. The last was a 1-0 win for Scotland in 2018 away from home.

Euro 2024 Group A predictions and expectations

Germany is the favourite to win Group A and one of the early favourites to win Euro 2024 outright. The bookies have them locked down with little value, but they’re the best team and should deliver the goods. Take Germany to win the group, and try your luck on Scotland to qualify (odds at 1.75) for the knockout stages for the first time.

*Odds are subject to change

Previews for the other five groups: