News about Florian Wirtz

Three Premier League superstars are among the top five performers across Europe's best leagues heading into the second international break of the season. The Premier League season is already delivering just seven matches into the new campaign with Liverpool top, Man City and Arsenal challenging again, while Man United are mid-table after an agonising start. Amidst the chaos of domestic and European football, Sofascore has crunched the numbers to reveal the top 20 performing players across Europe's biggest leagues - with some surprising results.

Two Premier League clubs are reportedly considered to have a 'good chance' of signing Florian Wirtz next summer, with a transfer battle expected for the Bayer Leverkusen superstar. The German international is a key figure at Leverkusen, helping the club to an unbeaten domestic campaign last season as they secured the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal. Witz contributed heavily with 18 goals and 20 assists in all competitions for the German giants.

Matchday 2 of the 2024-25 UCL gets underway tonight - and for those who will be watching closely - Sky Bet are offering a Price Boost as part of their Player Stat Accas market valued at enhanced odds of 14/1. The boost requires Florian Wirtz, Erling Haaland and Kai Havertz to each have 2+ shots on target. Regarding the bet - Wirtz had two shots on target in his last Champions League game, while Haaland and Havertz each had two shots on target in their most recent outings. Additionally, the trio have combined to score 17 goals at a league level to date this season.

UEFA has finally admitted that Marc Cucurella's controversial handball against Germany in the quarter-final of Euro 2024 should have been a penalty, according to a report from UEFA's Referees Committee. It was perhaps one of the most controversial moments of Euro 2024, with Jamal Musiala's strike in extra-time appearing to make contact with Cucurella's arm, while the Chelsea defender was stood inside the penalty area. Almost immediately, referee Anthony Taylor was swarmed by German players, including Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Niclas Fullkrug, who led the appeals for a penalty.

After one month, 51 matches, 117 goals, and countless memorable moments, Euro 2024 has reached its conclusion. On Sunday, England battled it out with Spain at the Olympiastadion in Berlin as they looked to avenge their painstaking loss to Italy at Wembley three years ago. However, the Three Lions 58 years of hurt will stretch to at least 60 after La Roja came out victorious in a tremendous finale to a tournament that has gifted us some electrifying matches.

English referee Anthony Taylor made a swift exit from the Stuttgart Arena on Friday after Germany's staff reacted furiously to his decision not to award them a penalty during Spain's 2-1 win over the Euro 2024 hosts, according to reports. Booking their place in Tuesday's semi-final against France, Spain dumped Germany out of the tournament in extra time, courtesy of Mikel Merino's 119th-minute winner after Florian Wirtz's late goal in normal time cancelled out Dani Olmo's opener. The decisive moment of the gripping match came during the first half of extra time, when Jamal Musiala's shot from distance struck the hand of Spain defender Marc Cucurella.

The hosts were eliminated in a pulsating showdown in Stuttgart with Mikel Merino breaking their hearts after guiding home a header in the 119th minute. The wives and girlfriends of Germany's players and head coach Nagelsmann remained inside the stadium long after the final whistle to console their partners. Much like their other halves, they were also visibly dejected with the result. Nagelsmann's partner, former journalist Lena Wurzenberger, was seen being gently consoled while in her seat, a small German flag on both her cheeks. Manuel Neuer's girlfriend, Anika Bissel, was snapped on the phone while Florian Wirtz's partner, Aaliyah, looked unimpressed as she walked past a photographer.

AADAM PATEL IN STUTTGART: It was heartbreak in Stuttgart for Euro 2024 hosts Germany, as they were knocked out of the competition in dramatic fashion by Spain.  The game looked destined to go to penalties after Florian Wirtz cancelled out Dani Olmo's opener at the end of regulation time. Then just 70 seconds before the end of extra-time, former Newcastle player Mikel Merino crushed the hearts of Germany fans to send Spain into the last-four. Mail Sport's Aadam Patel gives his verdict on how players from both sides performed during the tense encounter.

Mikel Merino struck in the final minute of extra time as Spain dumped hosts Germany out of Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals. Merino dramatically headed in Dani Olmo's cross into the top corner to spark jubilant Spanish celebrations and German desolation in the stands. The hosts had equalised themselves in the final minutes of normal time to force extra time, with Florian Witz firing Germany level in the 89th minute.

Nagelsmann has been the man leading the home charge over the tournament in his homeland, tasked with turning around Germany's fortunes after a disappointing last few competitions. He has done just that, and their game against Spain on Friday night could go a long way to deciding who goes onto win the competition in just over a week's time. Podcast co-host Ian Ladyman highlighted how Nagelsmann has made five substitutions in every game Germany have played so far, and how he wasn't scared to drop Bundesliga player of the season Florian Wirtz for the win over Denmark.

Germany have reportedly gone the extra mile and brought in unusual measures to ensure their plans are kept under wraps ahead of Friday's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Spain. Spain have won all four of their matches to date and conceded just one goal to establish themselves as the team to beat in Germany. They now face a crunch clash with the hosts in Stuttgart, who are desperate to keep their tactics a secret as they bid to extend their run at their home tournament.

AFTER fluffing their lines on the opening night Scotland are now back in Costa Rica territory. Tonight marks the 34th anniversary of the win over Sweden which atoned for the embarrassment of defeat to the central Americans in the opening game of Italia '90. In Cologne on Wednesday, nothing less will do. Physically, mentally and tactically outclassed by a clinical German team, Euro 2024 now comes down to winning four points from two games against Switzerland, then Hungary.

One Germany player, tipped early on to be one of the hosts' stars of the European Championship this summer, delivered an ominous performance on Friday night in the 5-1 thrashing of Scotland.  Germany needed only 10 minutes to take the lead after Florian Wirtz's opener, before going in 3-0 and a man up at the break thanks to Jamal Musiala's emphatic strike and Kai Havertz's penalty.   The hosts added another after the interval through Borussia Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug, before an own goal from Antonio Rudiger and an Emre Can strike saw the game finish 5-1 to Julian Nagelsmann's side. 

Toni Kroos is famed as one of the greatest midfielders to ever think about passing a ball, let alone actually doing it, and one stat from Germany's 5-1 thumping of Scotland underlines that perhaps better than any.  Germany - hosts of this summer's European Championship - got the ball rolling with an authoritative performance against Scotland on Friday night, with Julian Nagelsmann's side getting off to the perfect start.  It took just 10 minutes for Florian Wirtz to find the back of the net, with Jamal Musiala doubling the lead nine minutes later, before Kai Havertz made it 3-0 before the break, Ryan Porteous sent off in the build up to that penalty. 

Steve Clarke has brushed away speculation of a backroom fracas after he was seen angrily exchanging views with assistant coach Austin MacPhee during Scotland's woeful 5-1 defeat to Germany. The Tartan Army were unable to start their travails in Germany off on the right foot when Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes played in Munich on Friday evening. Jamal Musiala doubled the host nation's scoreline less than 10 minutes later, before Scottish fortunes took a turn for the worst with Ryan Porteous' red card following a crunching tackle on Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan. 

Fans have mocked Scotland captain Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney after they celebrated early into their eventual defeat against Germany in the Euro 2024 opener.  The Scots went into the tournament with high hopes under Steve Clarke but were hammered 5-1 by the tournament hosts.   Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can all got on the scoresheet as Scotland got their campaign underway in the worst way possible. 

IAN LADYMAN AT THE ALLIANZ ARENA: England don't have a monopoly on young attacking talent here at Euro 2024 and Scotland are now painfully aware of it. Steve Clarke's team were dismantled by the cleverness and intelligence of Germany's football in Munich and if the host nation carry on in this fashion, there may pain for plenty of others further down the line. Yes, this was only Scotland. It was not even good Scotland. No, this was not the version that played so well in qualifying, beating Spain and Norway and losing only once. This was the reincarnation that came in to his tournament having won only once - against Gibraltar - in their last nine game. So judgements made about Germany have to be tempered by that. Scotland's supporters turned up but their players didn't, not really. However, if so much fuss is being made about the front four that will line up for Gareth Southgate 's England team against Serbia on Sunday then Germany have a gilded quartet of their own.

Scottish football fans started filing out of the Munich Football Arena well before the final whistle tonight as their side crashed to a 5-1 defeat against Germany after the team conceded three first half goals against the hosts. The Tartan Army were in full voice as Scotland kicked off Euro 24 this evening but were soon left with their heads in their hands after an early battering. Florian Wirtz gave the Germans a lead after just ten minutes before talented youngster Jamal Musiala doubled their lead. Things turned from bad to worse for the Scots when Ryan Porteous gave away a penalty for a dangerous tackle on Ilkay Gundogan and duly received a red card. This was the signal for thousands of Scottish supporters to leave the stadium in droves and the side will have to dust themselves down ahead of their next match against Switzerland on Wednesday.

The Scots went into the tournament with high hopes under Steve Clarke, but it look less than 10 minutes for ambitions to start unravelling when Florian Wirtz put the host nation ahead. Jamal Musiala added a second minutes later, and Ryan Porteous saw red after he lunged in on Ilkay Gundogan in a bid to make a goal-saving tackle. Kai Havertz netted the penalty and Germany went into the break 3-0 down, much to the amusement of a number of fans on social media who wasted no time in producing memes to mock the Scots.

All day they came. Off planes, cars, camper vans, buses, trains and cycles. Some even made the journey on foot. An army mobilised from every corner of Scotland and beyond. The most joyous procession of humanity you've ever seen. Their trolley bags clattered along Munich's pavements before being hastily deposited in hotel rooms, many of which resembled rabbit hutches. A minute spent away from this party was a minute wasted.

Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Liverpool's Andy Robertson both start for Scotland in their Euro 2024 opening match against home nation Germany in Munich. The Reds defender had previously played down injury fears after coming off early during a training session earlier this week, but takes up the armband on Friday evening.  Germany are fielding a fearsome-looking side with few surprises for their opener, featuring Real Madrid's Champions League winners Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos, Arsenal's Kai Havertz, and former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan.  

IAN HERBERT IN MUNICH: The pages of Der Spiegel have this week reflected a German nation desperately needing the kind of football fervour it discovered in 2006, when the World Cup arrived here for four blissful, sun-kissed weeks still remembered as the Sommermärchen, 'the summer fairytale'. The paper related, with full Germanic precision, what is - and isn't - acceptable workplace practice during the four-week 'state of emergency' which begins with the hosts' opening fixture against Scotland in Munich this evening. Watching games in the workplace is a 'no', though listening to them on a radio is rendered acceptable by labour legislation passed in 1986. Decorate your car with flags by all means, 'so long as the driver's field of vision isn't restricted'. Only extend your 'fan festival' deep into the night if you have 'municipal permission'.

IAN LADYMAN IN MUNICH: North-east of Munich, towards the end of subway line No 6, the Allianz Arena sat shimmering in the morning sun on Thursday. The home of Bayern Munich, it has for so long stood as a symbol of domestic football power. That red-and-white monopoly - a run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles - was ended by the upstarts from Bayer Leverkusen this year. As Euro 2024 begins here, the Germany team will try to take their first step towards bucking a rather less palatable trend of their own. Not since 2016 in France have Germany won a knockout game in a major tournament. On Friday night against Scotland, they will begin their endeavours to put that right.

Sky Bet are offering enhanced odds of 28/1 for Scott McTominay to score a header Friday - as Scotland take on hosts Germany in the opening fixture of Euro 2024 at Allianz Arena. Four of McTominay's seven goals for Manchester United in the Premier League this season have come via headers. That's not the only boost available with Sky Bet - with a further three also generating plenty of interest in the betting lines. Those bets include Florian Wirtz to score or assist at 1/1, Manuel Neuer to make 5+ saves at 2/1, and John McGinn to commit 3+ fouls at 4/1.