Szoboszlai seals second unbeaten year for Hungary at home

2024. november. 19., 22:30 |

Hungary Men closed their Nations League group-stage campaign with a battling 1-1 draw at home to group-winners Germany in Budapest's Puskás Aréna on Tuesday evening, Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty restoring parity after visiting midfielder Felix Nmecha opened the scoring in the 76th minute. Germany were clearly a class act, so the hosts' typically courageous display, creativity and indefatigable spirit will give head coach Marco Rossi much to be positive about as he looks towards the new year.

Rossi chose to make one alteration to the starting eleven which lost away against the Netherlands three days ago, veteran defender Attila Fiola replacing Botond Balogh, so a 3-4-2-1 formation featured Dénes Dibusz in goal behind a back three of Fiola, Willi Orbán and Márton Dárdai. Tamás Nikitscher and András Schäfer were in central midfield with Zsolt Nagy on the left and Loic Nego on the right aiming to supply captain Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai as inside forwards with Barnábas Varga the lone central striker.

A hard-fought opening half saw Orbán slide in with perfect timing to deny Serge Gnabry a clear sight of Dibusz's goal in the sixth minute and Zsolt Nagy shoot straight at Germany goalkeeper Alexander Nübel in the 35th minute following good work from Dárdai and Varga. Germany heavily dominated possession but Hungary were quick to counter-attack when they could and mustered six shots at goal in the first 45 minutes, a pattern which didn't change much during the second half.

Substitute Kai Havertz almost scored within seconds of coming on for the four-time world champions, when he struck the foot of Dibusz's left post after receiving the ball from fellow replacement Florian Wirtz, but back came Hungary, Varga latching onto to Sallai's pass on the left corner of the six-yard box and firing across goal. only for Nübel to produce an excellent save.

Germany continued to boss possession though and eventually their pressure told, Felix Nmecha dispatching a rebound into the Hungary net after Dibusz could only beat out Schlotterbeck's close-range effort at the back post following a left-wing Wirtz corner. One would have thought this would finally kill off Hungarian resistance, but Rossi's charges had other ideas and when substitute Mihály Kata's attempt on goal was handled by Koch in the 94th minute, VAR advised the referee to overturn his original rejection of any handball and award a penalty. Szoboszlai duly stepped up and calmly chipped the ball down the middle of the goal as Nübel dived to his right, thereby securing a draw, his country's sixth Nations League group-stage point of the campaign and another year of unbeaten home matches, a record which now stretches back 13 games.

Hungary Men will next be in action in March when they will attempt to retain their League A status in the Nations League by winning a home-and-away play-off tie against either Austria, Ukraine, Türkiye or Greece, the draw for which will be made on Friday 22nd November in Nyon, Switzerland.

NATIONS LEAGUE, 6th round
LEAGUE A, GROUP 3
Hungary 1–1 Germany (HT: 0–0)
Budapest, Puskás Aréna, 53,300 spectators. Ref: Strukan (CRO)
HUNGARY: Dibusz – Fiola, Orbán, Dárdai M. – Nego (Gera D, 65), Nikitscher (Kata, 65), Schäfer, Nagy Zs. (Schön, 82) – Sallai (Csoboth, 82), Szoboszlai – Varga B. (Gruber, 89). Head coach: Marco Rossi
GERMANY: Nübel – Kimmich (Gosens, 46), Koch, N. Schlotterbeck, Henrichs – Andrich, F. Nmecha – Führich (Musiala, 60), Brandt (Havertz, 60), Sané (Kleindienst, 80) – Gnabry (Wirtz, 60). Head coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Goalscorers: Szoboszlai (90+9, pen), GER: F. Nmecha (76)