Szoboszlai ensures unbeaten Hungary finish as group winners

All pressure had been eliminated from one significant perspective ahead of this final Group G fixture, European Championship qualification having already been earned by virtue of Thursday's 2-2 draw away in Bulgaria, but Hungary head coach Marco Rossi still named arguably his strongest lineup available, Dénes Dibusz in goal behind a back three of Botond Balogh, Ádám Lang and Attila Szalai and a midfield four of Bendeguz Bolla (in for the suspended Milos Kerkez on the left), Ádám Nagy, Callum Styles and Zsolt Nagy (selected ahead of Loic Nego on the right). Further forward, Dániel Gazdag replaced Kevin Csoboth as captain Szoboszlai's playmaking partner behind lone forward Martin Ádám.

Rossi had promised a proactive approach to the match, emphasising the importance of finishing first in the group in order to be ranked in the second pot of seeds for the Euro 2024 tournament finals draw, and his team certainly began in that fashion, albeit without any initial breakthrough.

That enabled Montenegro - seeking a victory which could have seen them leapfrog Serbia into the second qualification place - to grow into the game and they crowned this improvement with the opening goal in the 36th minute, Bolla only able to head Vesovic's long, deep cross from the left up in the air and visiting captain Jovetic nodding the falling ball back across goal for Slobodan Rubezic to head down and into the Hungary net from a few metres out.

Such a setback didn't deter the hosts though, Gazdag seeing a close-range effort bounce wide of the right post just before half-time as Hungary maintained their superiority in possession. They made this count twice in as many mid-second-half minutes and once again it was the inspirational Szoboszlai who made the difference, his weaving run through the Montenegrin defence and fierce, low, right-footed shot from a tight angle drawing the home team level in the 66th minute.

Just 90 seconds later, the Liverpool attacker propelled his team into a 2-1 lead when he drove inside from the left wing, exchanged passes with Martin Ádám and fired the ball high into the left corner of the net via the outstretched boot of the away team's substitute goalkeeper Filip Dukic.

In terms of their Euro qualification hopes, Montenegro were really drinking in the last-chance saloon now and they threw everything into attack in a desperate bid to salvage their dreams. However, they met spectacular and effective resistance from home-team goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz, who produced a handful of fabulous saves in the last quarter to thwart his opponents.

The last word fell to Hungary's most experienced player on the pitch, 77-times-capped midfielder Ádám Nagy, who was perfectly placed to latch onto a loose ball once Dukic had clawed away Szoboszlai's vicious, 17-metre free-kick in the 93rd minute and shoot first-time into the ground, over Dukic and into the visitors' net for just his second goal thus far in his international career.

This final positive result of an unbeaten Euro 2024 qualification campaign means Rossi's squad finishes in first place in Group G on 18 points, four ahead of Serbia who drew 2-2 with Bulgaria, with the added reward of being included in the second group of seeds in the Euro 2024 tournament draw which takes place in Hamburg on 2nd December.