Hungary’s women draw 0-0 away to Slovakia

Photo: Roman Ferstl

Having opened their Euro 2021 qualification campaign with matches against Iceland and Sweden, the Hungarian women’s national team faced Slovakia in Senec in their third match in Group F.  Head coach Edina Markó had a full squad to pick from, opting for Barbara Bíró in goal in place of Réka Szőcs, the only change from the Sweden match in Miskolc last month.

Slovakia held the initiative early on but made few inroads towards Bíró’s goal, whilst at the other end, the first real opportunity for Hungary came in the 20th minute when Fanni Vágó shot from an acute angle and Slovak keeper Maria Korenciova could only parry the ball invitingly in front of Bernadett Zágor, but the St Polten player failed to hit the target. Bíró was called into action more than once as Slovakia threatened, the highlight being a fine save in the 25th minute from Martina Surnovska, before Patricia Fischerova was just off target with a header. Alexandra Biroova and Jana Vojtekova also spurned opportunities as the sides went in 0-0 at the break.

The second half ran to a similar script, Bíró making yet another save before Zsanett Jakabfi only just failed to find Vágó with a long pass with the Slovak rearguard stretched. Vágó then tested Korenciova and Dóra Zeller headed just wide. Klaudia Fabova was next to try her luck, Bíró making another save to deny her, before Jakabfi and Vágó combined once more to threaten the Slovak goal. Both sides came close to breaking the deadlock in time added on, Jakabfi firing inches over with a free-kick, but in the end both had to settle for a hard-earned point as the match finished goalless.

“It was a match between two evenly-matched teams. We didn’t play well; neither side gave the other an inch and neither side was able to produce their A-game. We struggled to find our rhythm; we were nervy and snatched at things. All we were missing was a goal but we weren’t accurate enough with our final ball and that makes it hard to win,” Markó told mlsz.hu after the match.

Slovakia 0-0 Hungary

Hungary: Bíró – Mosdóczi, Turányi, V. Szabó, Csiki – Zágor (Fenyvesi, 68’), Cziszár, Rácz – Jakabfi, Vágó, Zeller (Németh, 81’)