When Jamal Musiala was substituted in the 74th minute of Germany's 5-1 victory over Scotland on Friday, the home fans packed into Allianz Arena all rose to their feet to applaud the 21-year-old as he left the pitch. The standing ovation was a fitting tribute for Musiala, who terrorised the Scottish defence with his sublime dribbling skills and almost broke the net with his thunderous strike to put Germany two goals ahead inside the first quarter of the game.
Julian Nagelsmann's side will face tougher challenges as Euro 2024 progresses, but they played like potential champions in their opening game, and Musiala looked like a man who has his sights set on the Player of the Tournament prize. At just 21, the Bayern Munich man is already a world-class operator, and both England and Chelsea will be watching on with envious eyes as he continues to unlock his limitless potential in the coming years.
In an alternate reality, Musiala could have been lining up for England against Serbia on Sunday, as a representative of the Blues instead of Bayern. But just how did the two organisations manage to let such a special talent slip away? GOAL explains all...