Toni Kroos dropped deep, as he always does, to receive the ball off Antonio Rudiger. Just past the halfway line, he looked to sweep a crossfield pass out wide and slipped... and still found the precision required to land the ball at the feet of Joshua Kimmich.
He in turn received the ball in acres of space, cut inside and played it square to Florian Wirtz. Without taking a steadying touch, the Bayer Leverkusen phenom swept it into the far bottom corner. 1-0 Germany, and for Scotland the pain was only beginning.
So much of it was self-inflicted. What were Scotland thinking, really? Of all the players in the world that they could have given space to in midfield, Toni Kroos should have been the very last of them. Sure, on the face of it, this was a 34-year-old who'd announced his retirement from all football, but they ought to have known better.
Made their Germany debuts together in Munich in 2010.
Won the opening match of #EURO2024 together in Munich.
Greats ✨���� pic.twitter.com/kMnN27pDvz
- UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 14, 2024
For this wasn't one of those I'm-so-past-it-nobody-wants-me retirements we see so often in sport. A fortnight ago, Kroos had been integral to Real Madrid winning the Champions League yet again. Earlier this year, Germany had finally managed to make him end his three-year absence after new manager Julian Nagelsmann spent months persuading him to come back. And he had almost immediately helped transform Germany into a dull, slow team going nowhere fast into the slick machine we are more familiar with.
This is a midfield master whose stock has rarely been higher, and on the opening night of Euro 2024, he showed the world why. Yet again.
On his return to the national setup, Kroos had told Nagelsmann "Let's rock" and that's exactly what he did on Friday night. Given space and time, he had the game on strings. He dropped deep, allowing the fullbacks to bomb forward and Robert Andrich to crowd midfield behind Ilkay Gundogan. From that position, a few meters on either side of the centre-circle, Kroos conducted proceedings.
The other 19 outfielders moved as he dictated it, as he willed it. A swish of his boots and a game that was meandering along would suddenly change tempo. It was in evidence again for Germany's second goal. The final act itself may have been set up by a glorious turn-and-pass from captain Gundogan, and unselfishness from Kai Havertz teeing up Jamal Musiala, but who'd started it all off with a lovely little line-breaking ball from inside the German half? That calm, slow #8.
Germany would go on to run up the score, ending with a 5-1 win. If you were to look merely at the score and scorecard you wouldn't see Kroos' imprint on it, but anyone who saw the game knew it was all him. In the 80 minutes he played, he completed 101 of the 102 passes he attempted (99% accuracy), had 108 touches, and created four chances -- all more than any player.
There was plenty to celebrate about the way Germany took their chances and the sensational finishing of its forwards. The moment, though, that promised the inevitability of what was to follow was that first Kroos crossfield pass.
99% - Toni Kroos completed 99% of his passes against Scotland (101/102); the highest completion rate on record (since 1980) by any player to attempt 100+ passes in a game at the EUROs. Cruise. #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/aiDlxSz0tS
- OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 14, 2024
How despite the slip, it had zoned in perfectly at its target. When that ball hit Kimmich's feet, it was like everyone knew what was happening - this is Toni Kroos' game, and it is Toni Kroos' team that would win it.
Inevitable, capital I. And that's why it's our Moment of the Day from day 1 of these 2024 Euros.