Double delight for Dominik as Hungary dominate San Marino

Two goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and further strikes from midfielders Dániel Gazdag and Bálint Vécsei secured a routine and decisive 4-0 win for Hungary against San Marino in the Puskás Aréna in Budapest tonight, a victory totally deserved such was the home team's dominance in this final home match of their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi opted for a positive lineup, Dénes Dibusz in goal behind a back three of Endre Botka, Ádám Lang and Attila Szalai with Loic Nego providing width on the right and Szabolcs Schön doing the same on the left. Further forward, a three-man central midfield of Ádám Nagy, Dániel Gazdag and Bálint Vécsei was tasked with supporting a striking duo of captain Ádám Szalai and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The home team got off to a flying start too, Szoboszlai slaloming towards the San Marino penalty area from the right channel in the sixth minute, before exchanging passes with Szalai, nutmegging a San Marino defender and then another as he rolled his side-footed effort calmly past visiting goalkeeper Elia Benedettini and into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Three minutes later and Szalai could have doubled the hosts' lead but his unmarked header from Nego's inviting right-wing cross sailed wide of the target. Szabolcs Schön saw a shot well blocked by Elia Benedettini before Gazdag did make it 2-0, poking in Nego's smart cutback low and hard past the San Marino No 1.

Ádám Szalai flashed a shot wide of the right post as Hungary sought more before half-time but there was further changein the scoreline before the break though and the San Marino defence held firm in the initial stages of the second half too, Hungary's Botka going closest with a header which was dealt with in routine fashion by Benedettini.

The 57th minute saw Rossi shuffle his pack for the first time, Kevin Varga and András Schafer coming on for Schön and Nagy, and that gave fresh impetus to Hungary's atack, Szoboszlai finding chances to shoot - albeit unsuccessfully - before Nego blazed a half-volley wide.

Another substitute in the form of debutant forward Tamás Kiss entered the fray in place of midfielder Gazdag as Rossi clearly sensed the need to pose a greater attacking threat in the last 20 minutes. Kiss indeed did get a shot on target from a tight angle which was easily gathered by Benedettini and Varga saw a deflected drive palmed behind for a corneras the game entered its last ten minutes of regulation time.

Finally, Hungary's endeavours paid off when Szoboszlai shifted the ball onto his left foot in a central position and struck the ball low and firmly into the bottom right corner of the goal to seal victory. The RB Leipzig playmaker then made way for János Hahn and Botka was replaced by another debutant in Botond Balogh before Bálint Vécsei added gloss to the scoreline by emphatically dispatching a rebound from a cross into the net from 14 metres two minutes from the end of normal time.

Hungary will complete the qualifying group away against Poland on Monday evening.