In the Euro 2024 opener, Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan played a key role in Germany’s impressive 5-1 victory over Scotland. However, there was a worrying moment for Barcelona fans during the match.
Late in the first half, Gundogan went down in the Scotland penalty area after a challenge. At first glance, the tackle seemed tough but fair, with Ryan Porteous managing to deflect the ball out for a corner kick. However, replays showed a different story.
The footage revealed that Porteous had actually caught Gundogan high on his ankle. This led to a penalty being awarded and Porteous receiving a red card for the dangerous tackle.
Gundogan is fine
The images clearly showed that Gundogan was fortunate to avoid a serious injury from the incident. Despite the harsh challenge, Gundogan completed the entire 90 minutes of the match at the Allianz Arena.
After the game, he spoke about the incident, reassuring everyone that there was no serious damage. He explained that his ankle was fine, and it was just a strong blow with nothing serious to worry about.
“Everything is fine with the ankle, nothing serious. Just a strong blow,” said the German captain as quoted by SPORT.
The German national team started their campaign with a dominant performance against Scotland, with goals coming from Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug, and Emre Can.
This emphatic win set a positive tone for Germany as they look forward to their next group stage matches where they are set to play Hungary on June 19 and will close the group stage against Switzerland on June 23.
This opening match showcased Germany’s strength and depth in their squad, giving their fans high hopes for the rest of the tournament.
Despite the scare with Gundogan, his ability to play the full match and his post-game comments have reassured everyone that he will continue to be a vital player for both Germany in the upcoming fixtures.