u/SlowScooby

Hear me out: Germany throwing the game the other night wasn’t a tactical blunder. It was 84 years of pure, unadulterated petty revenge.

Everyone’s trying to analyse the tactics, but they’re ignoring the real history. Germany deliberately lost that match the other night just to deny Scotland the satisfaction of a proper fight, and it’s because the DFB is still upset about what happened in Egypt in 1942.

Let's look at the facts:

1. At the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was put right in the centre of the main assault
2. Moving through miles of German minefields using bagpipes as well as artillery to rattle Rommel’s troops, the Highlanders grimly held the line and basically crushed the whole 21st Panzer Division (and crippled the 15th).
3. Because the 51st gave two panzer divisions a proper doin’ and completely broke Rommel's front line, the entire Axis force had to retreat.

That one battle directly led to the collapse of the Africa campaign. Losing Africa meant the Allies could invade Italy. Invading Italy opened up the underbelly of Europe. Ergo: The Scots literally cost Germany World War II.

The Germans have been nursing that grudge since 1942. They knew a clinical, deliberate loss the other night would ruin Scotland’s tournament maths. Absolute elite-tier historical pettiness. Pah!