Hungary top group after easing past Lithuania

Hungary have now gone three matches without conceding a goal and have collected all three points for a second time this campaign after goals from Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai put paid to Lithuania in the Puskás Arena, a victory which sees Marco Rossi's team ascend to the top of Euro 2024 qualifying group G.

Three days after the 0-0 draw away against Montenegro, a packed Puskás Arena saw Hungary host the lowest-ranked nation in the European qualifying group, Lithuania. Head coach Marco Rossi made three changes from the starting team in Podgorica, Endre Botka, Dániel Gazdag and Barnabás Varga all handed starts while Sallai moved position to a deep-lying right midfield role.

Rossi asked his team to play patiently, so we didn't overwhelm Lithuania, but still created two presentable chances in the first ten minutes, Gazdag first heading wide before Attila Szalai's shot from a sharp angle was saved by the away-team goalkeeper.

The chances kept coming thereafter, Gazdage narrowly missing the target from Sallai's pass then Varga firing just wide. Indeed, after only a quarter of an hour Hungary had already had nine attempts at goal. This pressure was rewarded just after the half-hour mark when Varga dispatched Attila Szalai's Cross from the left into the net from close range, his first international goal on his first start for Hungary.

Captain Dominik Szoboszlai nearly doubled his side's lead in the 40th minute, only for his free-kick to rebound away from the crossbar. Nevertheless, by the time half-time arrived, Hungary had executed 18 attempts at goal and fully deserved their one-goal advantage. 

There was to be little change to the pattern of the game in the second period, Hungary thoroughly dominating possession but just unable to create quite as many chances to score. Still, they managed to secure the outcome of the game in spectacular fashion seven minutes from time, Szoboszlai setting up Sallai for a strike at goal which rocketed into the top-right corner of the goal from 25 metres. 

The three points thus confirmed, Marco Rossi's team now lead group G on seven points with a goal difference of 5-0 after three matches. Previous leaders Serbia, who drew 1-1 in Bulgaria, are now second, also on seven points but with a poorer goal difference, and they provide Hungary's next opponents in Belgrade on 7th September.

Hungary 2–0 Lituania (HT: 1–0)

HUNGARY (surnames first): Dibusz Dénes – Botka Endre, Orbán Willi, Szalai Attila – Sallai Roland (Baráth Péter, 88), Nagy Ádám, Styles Callum (Kleinheisler László, 60), Kerkez Milos (Ferenczi János, 79) – Gazdag Dániel (Lang Ádám, 79), Szoboszlai Dominik – Varga Barnabás (Ádám Martin, 60)
LITHUANIA: Gertmonas – Leklatas, Kazukolovas, L. Klimavicius, Tutyskinas (Beneta, 63) – Uzela (Vorobjovas, 46), Gineitis – El. Jankauskas (Romanovskij 85), Sirgedas (Sirvys, 46), Sesplaukis (Kucys, 78) – Paulauskas.
Goalscorers: Barnabás Varga (32), Sallai (83).