Hungary U21s fall to narrow Austria defeat in Puskás Aréna

After an encouraging 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland in Belfast last week, hopes were high that another positive result would be on its way but unfortunately a more clinical Austria claimed victory thanks to Kevin Danso's header just before half-time.

Around 10,000 spectators were present to see the hosts fashion the first clear goalscoring chance as early as the fifth minute, H23 slipping the ball through to H19 but his shot from a tight angle on the right was straight at visiting goalkeeper Ammer Helac.

There was a let-off for Hungary four minutes later when Austria poured forward and Marco Grüll swung in a cross from the left, only for an unmarked Alexander Schmidt to head the ball wide seven metres from goal. Seconds later the same player had a well-taken strike ruled out for offside before Bence Banó-Szabó's free-kick was easily gathered by a sprightly Helac to his left.

Just after the half-hour mark, Hungary carved out another presentable opportunity when Bence Gergényi fired an inviting, low pass across the Austrian penalty area from the left wing but Bendegúz Bolla, arriving the other side of the back post, could only divert the ball first-time back into the six-yard box, wherefrom an Austrian defender cleared.

Back came the visitors when Schmidt fed Sandi Lovric but Hungary goalkeeper Patrik Demjén blocked the shot brilliantly to preserve the deadlock. The Zalaegerszegi TE custodian again denied Austria when he diverted Grüll's header over the bar from Christoph Halper's cross but he couldn't prevent the away team converting the subsequent right-wing corner, Lovric's delivery headed into the net by Kevin Danso via the back of an unwitting Bence Tóth two minutes before the half-time break.

Halper's fierce free-kick was tipped behind by an alert Demjén as Austria sought to double their lead early in the second period, Hungary's only threat coming when substitute Márk Kovácsréti nearly scored direct from an inswinging, right-wing corner in the 66th minute.

Another replacement, Kelvin Arase, saw his long-range shot well-held by Demjén in the 74th minute and four minutes later, Demjén thwarted Grüll again when the SV Ried striker ran clean through in on goal. Hungary tried valiantly to equalise, Bolla's rasping drive with ten minutes to go deflected behind for a corner, but ultimately Austria held on for a slender win.

Hungary 0-1 Austria (HT: 0–1)
Goalscorer: Danso (43)
Hungary (surnames first): Demjén Patrik - Varjas Zoltán, Nagy Zsombor (Palincsár Martin, 65.), Tóth Bence - Bolla Bendegúz, Szabó Bence (Schäfer András, 61.), Tajti Mátyás, Banó-Szabó Bence (Kovácsréti Márk, 61.), Gergényi Bence (Majnovics Martin, 61.) - Szőke Adrián (Bíró Bence, 61.), Szabó Máté (Kundrák Norbert, 74.)
Austria: Helac (Giuliani, 46.) - Danso, Borkovic, Maresic, Malicsek - Lovric, Müller, Halper (Arase, 64.) - Lukasevic (Sabitzer, 46.), Schmidt (Fadinger, 64.), Grüll.