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Euro 2016: Mark McGhee says Scottish players will be inspired by facing Germany

Image: Mark McGhee: Excited by trip to Germany

Mark McGhee says Scotland’s players will be inspired by the prospect of playing new world champions Germany in the opening 2016 European Championship qualifier on September 7.

The Germans won the World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium on Sunday night thanks to a goal from substitute Mario Gotze.

Their next competitive game will be against Scotland – who have not reached the finals of a major tournament since 1998 - in the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.

Gordon Strachan's side will also take on Georgia, Poland, Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar in Group D as they aim to reach the next European finals in France.

Scotland assistant boss McGhee says Germany were "thoroughly deserved winners" in Brazil and says all Scottish players should be battling to make the starting XI.

"I am hoping it (Germany's win) will inspire the players between now and then to be in the team for that game," he said.

"What a game to play in, to walk out with the world champions in an arena like that, you should want to play in that game for no other reason.

What a game to play in, to walk out with the world champions in an arena like that, you should want to play in that game for no other reason. It is a fantastic incentive for players to be in form, to be fit, to be there, ready to be picked to be played in that game.
Mark McGhee

"It is a fantastic incentive for players to be in form, to be fit, to be there, ready to be picked to be played in that game.

"You are going to have to play someone decent and we knew already how difficult that is going to be, even before the World Cup started.

"For us, it won't be about finishing above Germany, it will be about finishing above the others.

"So regardless of what happens in Dortmund we still have a chance of qualifying if we keep improving as we have been doing."

Former Aberdeen, Hamburg and Celtic striker McGhee smiled when asked jokingly about Scotland becoming unofficial world champions by beating Germany.

He said: "That's the way we will read it and that's the way the Tartan Army will see it and that's what the prize will be, the first to beat them, possibly, although I do understand they have a friendly before they play us, against Argentina again, but we are looking forward to it.

"It is a fantastic stadium in Dortmund. I made my debut there for Hamburg. It is a terrific footballing arena and I think it will be rocking and rolling that night."

Scotland will host England in a friendly on November 18 at Parkhead and McGhee is looking forward to renewing that rivalry.

The Scots lost 3-2 to the Auld Enemy at Wembley last year in an entertaining friendly game which McGhee believes justified a return encounter.

"The game at Wembley was a fabulous advert for British football," he said. "It was a brilliant game. We obviously lost in the end when we ran out of energy but the crowd was brilliant and were well behaved and we felt it was a good idea to do it again.

"So we look forward to that."

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