In both matches, there were last-minute goals as Germany drew with Switzerland and Hungary sent Scotland home.
Germans show a flicker of weakness
Having dominated their first two matches with a 5-1 win over Scotland and a 2-0 victory against Hungary, tournament hosts Germany displayed some vulnerability in their third-round match on Sunday against Switzerland. The game ended in a 1-1 draw in Frankfurt.
Germany conceded their first goal scored by an opposing player in the tournament, having only conceded an own goal in their opening match against Scotland. Adding to that, they had to wait until the final moments of the game for Niclas Fullkrug to equalize, scoring in the 92nd minute.
Germany Niclas Füllkrug scoring yet again from the bench
Although the Germans’ underlying stats would suggest they should have comfortably beaten the Swiss they had 62 percent possession and 1.65 xG versus 0.57 they showed they are capable of being undone.
Julian Nagelsmann and his team shouldn’t panic just yet, but Germany’s upcoming opponents will likely study the Swiss strategy for containing them and aim to replicate it in the knockout phase.
After finishing at the top of Group A, Germany is set to take on the runner-up from Group C, which is expected to be either Denmark, Serbia, or Slovenia. Meanwhile, Switzerland clinched the second spot in their group and will face the runner-up from Group B, potentially Italy or Croatia.
Scotland’s knockout-round wait goes on
Scotland struggled to create chances during Euro 2024 and couldn’t secure a victory against a similarly unimpressive Hungary in their crucial Group A match on Sunday. Ultimately, it was Hungary who scored a late, dramatic goal to claim a 1-0 victory and keep their hopes alive for advancing in the tournament.
Scotland opened their tournament with a humiliating loss to the hosts, and despite a respectable 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their next match, Steve Clarke’s team faltered once more in their final defeat in Stuttgart.
The Scots will point to a second-half penalty appeal that VAR chose not to review, but it was a close decision, and they can’t be too disappointed after managing just one shot on target throughout the game.
With their elimination, Scotland maintain their unfortunate streak of never advancing from the group stage in a major tournament.
Hungary had a slow start to the tournament and continued to struggle for much of the game until the 100th minute on Sunday, showing little attacking threat.
They seemed poised for a lackluster draw and potential tournament elimination against Scotland before seizing a moment on the counterattack to secure a memorable and thrilling victory.
Kevin Csoboth cooly finished off the move to the joy of the Hungarian fans and the win gives them faint hope of progression. Do they deserve it? Not necessarily but they will take the chance and run with it should they go through to the next round.
Hungary Kevin Csoboth
Varga suffers a serious fall
A major talking point in Stuttgart was the injury sustained by Hungary’s Barnabas Varga when he collided with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn after 70 minutes.
Barnabás Varga broke several bones in his face and suffered concussion during the game vs Scotland
Varga went to challenge for the ball with the goalkeeper, and in the process, the two players collided, resulting in the striker landing awkwardly. Medical personnel quickly rushed onto the pitch to assist, shielding Varga from view as he received medical attention. After a prolonged delay, Varga was eventually stretchered off the field.
The seriousness of the reaction prompted many to fear the worst but news came in after the final whistle that he was conscious and in a stable condition.
Hungarian captain, Dominik Szoboszlai, holds Varga’s shirt right after his team’s last-minute victory to pay tribute to his injured teammate.
Hungarian captain, Dominik Szoboszlai
