Time to sign off. I’ll leave with you Barney Ronay’s match report, and Ewan Murray’s verdict on a rough night for Scotland. Thanks for joining me. Goodnight!

Steve Clarke: “I thought Germany were outstanding, and we couldn’t match them. The first half ran away from us very quickly. We weren’t very good, defensively or on the ball. What we can do is still in front of us. It’s all about a reaction, let’s see how we react. Four points is the target – we didn’t get any tonight, so we’ll need four points from two games.”

Throughout the tournament, Football Daily will become Euro 2024 Daily, covering every kick on the road to Berlin. Sign up via the link below:

Tomorrow’s MBM line-up: Hungary v Switzerland with Rob Smyth (2pm BST kick-off); Spain v Croatia with Barry Glendenning (5pm BST); and Italy v Albania with John Brewin (8pm BST). Woof!

Barney Ronay was at the Allian Munich Football Arena for opening night:

Let’s rock! Germany’s players were clearly paying close and diligent attention to Julian Nagelsmann’s pre-tournament press conference on Thursday night. At the Munich Football Stadium the hosts kicked off Euro 2024 with a kind of pomp-metal power surge, a first half display that produced three goals, a red card for Ryan Porteous, a series of lovely supple passing moves fed through the rhythm section Toni Kroos, and evidence of just how well Nagelsmann has balanced this talented team.

A word for Christina Unkel, who made her ITV debut as the refereeing expert analyst. She did very well, explaining the key talking points clearly and concisely – which is no surprise, given her knowledge and experience. And yet, the pond life of Twitter seem to have a problem with her, for some reason.

Roy Keane wasn’t impressed by Robertson’s remarks …

Here’s the Scotland captain, Andrew Robertson. “First half, we just got it all wrong. We didn’t turn up … their game plan worked a million times better. Second half, we’re down to 10 men, I thought the lads dug in really well, but a sloppy goal at the end.”

“We’ve got a lot to do, to turn things around by Tuesday (when they face Switzerland). This tournament is difficult, we’re up against world-class teams, [but] we know we didn’t play to our maximum. Dust ourselves off, take tomorrow to be angry with ourselves, then we have to be positive and go again.”

Some good news for Scotland: they outperformed their xG – which was zero. Germany only getting 2.51 seems harsh, to be honest.

Graeme Souness gives his verdict: “Scotland were miserable tonight. I feel really disappointed. People are saying Germany played well, but we’ll see how they do against a really good team.”

90 mins: There will be three added minutes.

Scotland fans cheered that goal heartily, then launched into a rendition of “no Scotland, no party”. Now a chant of “you’re not signing any more” is echoing around the arena. The Tartan Army deserved that goal, at least.

85 mins: Sané is one of the few players who isn’t waiting for the final whistle. Presumably keen to state his case for a starting place, he is shooting on sight – but his latest effort flies high over Gunn’s crossbar.

“Now’s the time to put your money on Scotland to get out of the group, I suppose,” sighs Simon McMahon. “But not too much money, mind.”

83 mins: Sané bends a shot at goal, but Gunn is right behind it. “I’ve been looking at the clock since about 57 minutes,” admits Ally McCoist. Some Scotland fans look like they’re heading back to Marienplatz early.

82 mins: Lawrence Shankland is on for Ryan Christie, and almost latches on to a Ralston cross. Germany break at speed, as expected, and three Scotland players have to scurry back and crowd out Sané.

80 mins: Kroos goes off to another rousing reception, and is replaced by Emre Can. The Dortmund midfielder was only called up a few days ago, after Bayern’s Aleks Pavlovic was ruled out with tonsilitis. Scott McKenna is on for Scotland, replacing the overworked Kieran Tierney.

78 mins: Mittelstadt, who has also been very good indeed, swings a cross to Muller, who tries to nudge it towards the far post – but Robertson gets back to scramble it away.

No goal! Scotland slip deeper into nightmare territory as Mittelstadt crosses, Fullkrug bullies Hanley off the ball and despite Gunn getting a hand to it, the ball loops into the net. But the forward was just offside, and the semi-automated VAR process is quick to rule it out.

72 mins: Hanley – who might be the only Scotland player to emerge with any credit tonight – gets his head to another decent delivery. Germany corner, and time for Jamal Musiala, surely the player of the match, to make way. He gets a huge ovation from his home crowd. His replacement? Thomas Müller.

70 mins: On ITV, Ally McCoist said Fullkrug replacing Havertz might be a good thing for the Scotland defence. He is, of course, happy to admit his error.

67 mins: Scotland free kick, launched into the box by McTominay – but it has just too much pace for Jack Hendry to get his head on it. And then …

65 mins: Grant Hanley heads behind for a corner, from which Mittelstadt fires an ambitious effort over the bar. Scotland are making more changes, with Billy Gilmour and Kenny McLean on for McGinn and McGregor.

64 mins: Get your “awful night at the office” bingo cards out, because Steve Clarke is now arguing with his own assistant coach, Austin MacPhee. Clarke isn’t happy with how exposed his team were from their own attacking set piece.

63 mins: Tah gets booked for a foul on McGregor, and Scotland have a free kick. It comes to nothing – worse, in fact, as Scotland leave space for Sané to advance on goal. His shot is weak, though, and straight at Angus Gunn.

62 mins: That’s the end of Havertz and Wirtz’ nights – both scored to cap excellent displays. Who’s coming on? Niclas Füllkrug and Leroy Sané. Come on Julian, show some mercy.

61 mins: Not for the first time, a long ball has Scotland’s back line in bits – but Havertz can’t connect to Rudiger’s pass and Gunn is able to snatch the ball up before Wirtz gets to it.

59 mins: Jamal Musiala has had, by his standards, a disappointing season with Bayern – but he’s unplayable tonight, again causing havoc with a run infield and a cross that Gunn has to stick a leg out to clear. Thankfully for him, Gundogan’s shot on the rebound is blocked by McGregor.

57 mins: Oof, this could have been four. Musiala darts in from the left, putting Ralston in all sorts of trouble before rolling it back to Mittelstadt. His deep cross is perfect for Wirtz, whose first-time shot zips just over the bar!

56 mins: The corner is half-cleared, Gross thinks about a shot but keeps the ball moving instead – and Kimmich sees his effort from distance blocked.

54 mins: Tierney’s raking long ball down the left towards Christie is intercepted by Tah. Germany move upfield again through Gross, who feeds it to Wirtz on the left, and his cross is deflected behind for a corner.

52 mins: Gundogan tries to hook a high pass out to Kimmich, overcooks it and looks absolutely disgusted with himself.

50 mins: After McGinn tries and fails to find Ryan Christie, who is now Scotland’s most attacking player, Rudiger strolls forward and has a shot. It’s well hit, low and swerving, and Angus Gunn has to palm it round the post.

47 mins: Julian Nagelsmann has made a half-time change too, with the booked Andrich replaced by Pascal Gross. Musiala, who has been fantastic so far, ghosts away from McGinn and finds Wirtz, who is dumped on the turf by Ralston. Yellow card.

46 mins: They do win an early free kick out on the left, which McTominay lifts into the box. It’s a dangerous delivery, just about dealt with by Havertz at the near post.

How’s Simon McMahon getting on? “This is embarrassing, or as we say up here, a total minter.”

Half-time thoughts

“Toni Kroos having all the time in the world to pick out inch-perfect passes. Did the news of his coming back out of retirement not reach Scotland?” wonders Sam Jones. “I feel like most teams would be putting someone on Kroos with the sole aim of just applying more pressure to him.” It’s certainly worth a try.

“Watching from Shanghai at 4am,” writes Steven Grundy. “Three-nil down after 45 minutes and a player sent off. Not great. It seems to me that there is only one grown up on the field – Kroos is popping up everywhere.”

It’s been a good half for the officials, though. “It appears VAR can be used correctly,” notes Richard Slessor. “I’m also approving of the new rule that means only the captain can swear at the referee.”

49 mins: Scotland win a free kick, play it short with the clock running down, and run out of time to get close to the German goal.

47 mins: One minute of three added at the end of the first half, and Sam Matterface is talking about how goal difference might not help you get out of the group anyway. Welcome to the Euros, Scotland.

40 mins: Germany penalty! Scotland somehow survive another flowing Germany move, with Musiala wriggling through the defence and crossing to Gundogan, whose downward header is brilliantly saved by Gunn. The German captain is ready to pounce on the rebound but Porteous makes a goal-saving block – unfortunately, he also plants a boot on Gundogan’s shin. This is going to be a penalty …

38 mins: Austin MacPhee, Scotland’s set-piece coach, is out of his seat to direct matters. While John McGinn tries to distract Manuel Neuer, McTominay floats in a long-range cross which is headed back across goal, but just won’t drop to a navy shirt.

37 mins: A rare moment of joy for Che Adams upfield as he’s bundled over by Jonathan Tah, earning a free kick some 35 yards out …

35 mins: Maximilian Mittelstädt cuts in from the left to marshal Che Adams, getting his head to the ball first. The left-back is one of the longer, and less familiar, names in Nagelsmann’s squad, breaking through after impressing at Stuttgart this season.

34 mins: “Germany in Kroos control,” notes Peter Oh, who will be here all tournament. It seems incredible to me that Toni Kroos is packing it in after these Euros. He’s still one of the best players on the planet.

32 mins: Havertz uses his arm to flick the ball on to Musiala, who puts it in the net – but the referee had already blown his whistle, and offers a wry smile to the Arsenal man for his impudence.

30 mins: Andrich, clearly the midfield bruiser every tournament-winning nation needs, earns a yellow card for a late lunge on Callum McGregor.

29 mins: An important milestone for Scotland – they’ve gone 10 minutes without conceding. And let’s be fair, Germany have started very well, showing a fluency and urgency few expected in the tournament’s opening minutes.

27 mins: Kroos lays it off for Havertz to shoot, but his low strike takes a nick off Christie’s boot, and is saved comfortably by Angus Gunn.

26 mins: Interesting to see the new captains-only approach there, with Robertson and Gundogan left to harangue the referee on behalf of their teammates. Gundogan couldn’t really be bothered, in truth. Here comes the free kick, with Kroos and Havertz over it …

Penalty to Germany? Oh dear, Scotland’s heads have gone – and when Musiala collects Mittelstadt’s pass and threatens to get a shot on goal, Ryan Christie simply crashes into him. Clément Turpin points to the spot, but replays suggest the initial contact was outside the box. It’s a free kick, inches outside the area.

23 mins: Tierney’s cross towards the isolated Che Adams is hoofed away by Rudiger, and Gundogan is brought down by Callum McGregor.

“As an Irish football fan, I’d like to reassure my Scottish brethren: just keep your heads, it’s really early doors, you definitely can still win the singing,” writes Niall Mullen. Some hangovers kicking in fast in the blue corner of the ground just now.

Scotland have been unable to hold on to the ball, and when they give it away, Gundogan turns his man and strolls forward, before slicing through the back line with a pass to Havertz. Instead of shooting from an angle, he turns and plays it back to Musiala, who sidesteps to open up space, then blasts the ball into the roof of the net. There’s no stopping that one!

18 mins: Gunn gets half a point on the board in his personal battle with Wirtz, racing out to stop the Leverkusen star latching on to a through ball. But Germany come again …

16 mins: Ralston’s rushed long ball towards Adams is intercepted, allowing Germany to win the ball back and stroke it around midfield.

14 mins: Scotland are playing the ball around the back, trying to get their heads together. “Flower of Scotland” is echoing around the Allianz Arena as fans try to lift their team again.

Could Angus Gunn have done a little bit better there? Yes, probably – it wasn’t a howler by any means, but having got down to a low shot through a crowd of players, the keeper will have been pretty devastated to still let it squirm into the net.

Scotland’s narrow setup is allowing Kimmich to push up very high, and he collects a long diagonal pass before squaring to Wirtz. He fires a low shot, central but spinning towards the far post – and although Angus Gunn gets a firm hand to it, he can only push it onto the post and in! That’s the first part of my prediction right, at least.

9 mins: Interesting that in Gundogan and Kimmich, Julian Nagelsmann has two exceptional central midfielders who aren’t playing in central midfield. Gundogan is in the No 10 slot, with Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich behind him.

8 mins: Kimmich, who is stationed at right-back, lifts a cross in and Havertz heads it backwards, in that awkward Havertzian style of his, but nobody in white is there to latch on to it.

6 mins: Andy Robertson tries to thread the ball to Ryan Christie down the left, but overhits his pass.

5 mins: Scotland get forward for the first time, and Tierney lobs a long throw towards the box. Andrich heads clear, Germany win it back and threaten to break, but Jack Hendry is on hand to sweep up.

“I’m in Edinburgh tonight and it was eerily quiet on the streets on the way downtown to watch this,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “The sign of a proper footie nation. Let’s hope for bedlam come 10 o’clock.”

3 mins: Kieran Tierney outmuscles Jamal Musiala, eventually winning a goal kick when his clearance cannons back off the Germany winger.

1 min: Oh my! Wirtz, who looks well offside, chests the ball down and forces an early save from Gunn. Replays suggest he was actually not offside by much at all, Anthony Ralston just getting out in time.

My prediction, not that anyone asked: Germany score fairly early, but Scotland get one back from a set piece. They hold on until the last 10 minutes, but the hosts get a late winner. Germany 2-1 Scotland.

The teams are out, and line up next to the giant inflatable trophy which is still sitting in the centre circle. Let’s hope Uefa paid for removal as well as installation. It’s time for the anthems, both of which are belted out with equal gusto. It’s happening!

There is a moment’s pause to pay tribute to Franz Beckenbauer, who died in January. His widow, Heidi, is carrying the trophy out on to the pitch and looks moved at the huge applause from all sides of the ground.

Get in touch! Some readers have mentioned problems with the mail link atop the MBM. If it’s not working for you, you can email niall.mcveigh@theguardian.com or send me a message via X: @niallmcveigh.

The dance troupe unfurl banners representing each host city, then a giant tarpaulin with the words “WELCOME TO GERMANY” emblazoned on it. Now the crowd are getting involved, lifting up bits of paper to make a colourful mosaic around the ground. Sparklers are lit and giant ribbons and flags are rolled out before a giant replica of the trophy emerges from the central plinth. And … that’s it. Well, it was short at least – and for that, we are thankful.

Here we go! The opening ceremony has suddenly sprung into life, dancers dressed in block colours converging on a centre-circle platform to body-pop and twirl flags. It’s fine, but also a bit like someone typed ‘opening ceremony’ into an AI generator.

There’s still no real sign of any opening ceremony, with under 20 minutes to kick-off. The Tartan Army, bouncing in unison, are providing enough pre-game spectacle as it is. There’s still time to vote in our quickfire poll, which shows there is plenty of Scots optimism out there.

Which Germany squad member was born in Uzbekistan? And which Scotland player wears No 9 for the New York Red Bulls? It’s all in our peerless interactive guide to every player at these Euros:

“It’s been a long wait [for the fans],” says Steve Clarke. “A long day for us too, late evening kick-off. We’ll have to defend very well. Can we play the perfect game? Probably not, because nobody can. But can we eliminate mistakes? That’s what we need to do.

On being underdogs tonight: “We understand the system, the strengths and weakness of Germany. People can say what they want. For us, it’s a game that if we win, it’ll be a fantastic feeling. That’s what we’ll try to do.”

If there were a trophy on offer for the best pre-match fit, Germany would have it in the bag. Just look at those tracksuits!

Lorraine Kelly has just popped up on ITV outside the ground, predicting a 2-1 Scotland win and forgetting Rule No 1 of international tournaments.

Here’s how the hosts will line up …

… and here’s Steve Clarke’s starting XI.

An hour until kick-off; team news is coming any moment now, before we head into the arena for the opening ceremony. There will be a tribute to Franz Beckenbauer before some musical guests (who remain curiously anonymous).

After being deployed under the radar at the 2022 World Cup, football’s equivalent of cricket’s “snickometer” could play a prominent role tonight. Nick Ames has more:

A message to Scotland fans, from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson:

What do fans from all 24 countries expect from their teams, and this tournament? Find out here. Shout out to the Romania fan who predicts they will lose all three games, conceding 10 goals – that’s the spirit.

One end of the stadium is already festooned with saltires – it’s estimated that around 200,000 Scotland fans have travelled to Munich. Here’s Football Daily on how the Tartan Army got the party started in style …

ITV have gone with a solid punditry line-up for the opening game: Ian Wright, Graeme Souness and Roy Keane. Their intro montage is an animated, fairytale-themed affair, with Harry Kane climbing Rapunzel’s hair, Little Red Ronaldo and John McGinn in a gilded carriage. A lot of fun.

Prediction time: cast your votes via this handy poll.

Think you know your Panenka from your Piratiko? Why not try our quiz, with 24 questions on the history of the Euros …

“Hi Niall.” Hello there, Simon McMahon. “Really looking forward to the opening fixture between these two sides. The land of beer, sausages, ridiculous national costumes and unintelligible, emotionally repressed men, versus Germany. COME ON SCOTLAND!!!”

Step into my tactics truck, and we’ll take a look at how both teams might set up. After a doomed experiment with Kai Havertz as a left-wing-back, Julian Nagelsmann has gone back to basics, recalling Toni Kroos and switching to a 4-2-3-1, with Havertz likely to lead the line tonight ahead of Niclas Füllkrug.

As for Scotland, they are expecting to field a back three, with Anthony Ralston joining Andy Robertson at wing-back. The midfield engine room is crucial, led by Scott McTominay and John McGinn, while Che Adams’ pace on the break should see him selected instead of Lawrence Shankland.

And here’s Ewan Murray on Scotland, seeking to reach the knockout stages at a major tournament for the first time:

There’s no better place to start your pre-match reading than with our Experts’ Network guides. First, the hosts …