Day two so far at the Euros
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Match report: Hungary 1-3 Switzerland
Jonathan Wilson was in Cologne for us this afternoon. Here’s what he made of the game.
The race for the Golden Boot is on, and you can follow it goal by goal
Next, a big one: Spain v Croatia. Barry Glendenning has all the buildup.
“Hungary aren’t quite as shockingly poor as Turkey were at the last Euros,” says Kári Tulinius, “but this may be another case of a tournament dark horse stumbling out of the gate.”
Full time: Hungary 1-3 Switzerland
An impressive, deserved victory for Switzerland in Cologne. They had a 20-minute wobble when Barnabas Varga made it 2-1, but overall they were much the better team. Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer scored their first international goals during a dominant first-half performance, and the substitute Breel Embolo – who barely kicked a ball for Monaco last season because of injury – settled matters in added time.
90+6 min Switzerland break again, four on two I think, and Embolo’s low cross just evades Amdouni in front of goal.
90+4 min Embolo had some kind of strapping that came off as he chested the ball down. He didn’t even notice; in fact he still hasn’t because he hasn’t retrieved it.
A beautiful moment for Breel Embolo, who has barely kicked a ball in the last 12 months. Yann Sommer’s long kick was peculiarly headed across the face of his own area by Orban. Embolo chested the ball down, calmly lobbed it over the outrushing Gulacsi and set off on a cathartic celebration.
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GOAL! Hungary 1-3 Switzerland (Embolo 90+3)
It’s all over in Cologne!
90+2 min Switzerland are managing this pretty well. In fact they look the likelier scorers.
90+1 min Embolo leads a three-on-three break and plays in Rieder. He goes round the outrushing Gulacsi but goes too wide and his eventual cross-shot is booted off the line. It wasn’t going in anyway.
90 min There will be five minutes of added time.
90 min: Good save by Gulacsi! Rieder’s inswinging corner from the right is met ahead of the near post by Xhaka, whose header deflects off Szoboszlai and is clawed away by Gulacsi. That’s an excellent reaction save.
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89 min Xhaka buys a foul, and some time, with Schafer pushing him over unnecessarily.
87 min Sallai has the ball taken off his toes on the edge of the area after a header down from Adam. Switzerland break and Fiola is booked for a foul on Amdouni.
86 min: Switzerland substitution Ndoye is down so Switzerland kick the ball out of play. He goes off, as does Remo Freuler. On come Fabian Rieder and Vincent Sierro.
85 min Hungary have two up front now, Varga and the hulking Adam.
83 min Rodriguez angles a sweet pass over the top to Ndoye, who controls it on the run and is about to shoot when Dardai makes a terrific tackle. The ball ricochets off Ndoye and behind for a goalkick.
82 min “Optimistic from Simon McMahon, I fear,” says James Humphries. “My bet is that Switzerland give us another shoeing on Wednesday and then Hungary, having lost to Germany in the interim, come out absolutely desperate for a win and third place. In short: we’re effed, and I don’t know what else I expected.”
It’s the hope that kills!
81 min Adam’s dangerous cross is headed away crucially by the diving Rodriguez. Moments later he heads away again after Sallai nutmegs a defender and crosses from the left. It’s all Hungary.
81 min He’s fine.
81 min Schar lands awkwardly on his right leg and needs treatment to his calf.
80 min: Hungary substitution Marton Dardai and Martin Adam replace Milos Kerkez and Attila Szalai.
79 min Switzerland, so assured on the ball for the first hour, now can’t stop giving it away.
77 min Another cross from Kerkez is headed away but Switzerland’s defenders are no longer playing in their slippers. Hungary have beeen a different team in the last 15 minutes.
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74 min: Switzerland substitution Breel Embolo, who has barely played this season because of injury, replaces Ruben Vargas.
73 min A cracking first-time cross from Kerkez, one of Hungary’s better players today, is well claimed by the diving Sommer. Varga was waiting behind him and would have had an open goal.
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72 min The resulting corner, taken by Vargas, is headed just wide of the far post by Schar. He had to fight to win the ball so it wasn’t an easy chance.
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71 min Xhaka releases Ndoye on the left. He cuts into the area, shifts the ball onto his right foot and cracks a shot that deflects off Orban and not far over the bar.
70 min Szalai is booked for cynically taking out Ndoye.
69 min Hungary have a new lease of life. The mood, as Clive Tyldesley notes on ITV, changed not with Varga’s goal but with his miss a couple of minutes earlier. It might have deflated Hungary; instead it gave them hope.
68 min: Switzerland substitution Leonidas Stergiou and Zeki Amdouni replace Kwadwo Duah and Silvan Widmer.
67 min: Hungary substitution Laszlo Kleinheisler comes on for Adam Nagy.
Hungary pull one back 👀
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2024
Minutes after turning a header wide, Barnabás Varga makes up for his miss 👊
GAME ON!#Euro2024 | #HUNvSUI pic.twitter.com/m0QA5CHWxm
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GOAL! Hungary 1-2 Switzerland (Varga 66)
Hungary are back in it! Barnabas Varga, who missed that great chance a moment ago, has stooped to head Szoboszlai’s inswinging cross past Sommer from close range. It was a good finish – he got round the back of Aebischer at the far post, fell forward to meet the ball and brushed a header past Sommer.
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65 min “Ok, this is good for Scotland,” says Simon McMahon, high-fiving a confused granny in the deli aisle. “We play Switzerland next, who will be very confident, perhaps over confident, and probably happy with a point after winning their first game. Germany will surely beat Hungary, meaning that victory for Scotland in their final group game against the Magyars will almost certainly guarantee qualification. A tried and tested formula that has worked in the past for Scotland against Yugoslavia in 1974, Holland in 1978, the Soviet Union in 1982, Uruguay in 1986, Brazil in 1990, Switzerland in 1996, Morocco in 1998, Croatia in 2021.”
63 min: Great chance for Hungary! That one would have counted. Sallai, on the left, curled a beautiful cross onto the head of Varga, unmarked eight yards out. He powered a header back across goal and just wide of the post. Sommer didn’t move.
62 min Varga scampers through one on one and curls wastefully over the bar. The flag went up for offside, although it was tight. Varga probably fouled Rodriguez anyway, so any goal would have disallowed one way or another.
62 min Murat Yakin probably can’t believe how comfortable his team have been; they’ve been able to play within themselves and still control the game.
59 min Freuler is booked for a cynical foul on Szoboszlai, who had got away from him on the Hungary left.
58 min A dodgy square on the halfway line from Fiola goes straight to Ndoye. He runs to the edge of the D but then shoots over.
57 min Hungary take a short corner and make a complete Horlicks of it.
57 min The willing Sallai is fouled just outside the area on the left. Szoboszlai’s inswinging cross is headed behind for a corner.
54 min Switzerland continue to control the game. The outstanding Xhaka clips a disguised pass to Vargas, whose snapshot is well held to his left by Gulacsi.
53 min These teams play again on Wednesday, Hungary against Germany and the Swiss against Scotland.
51 min Szoboszlai shoots well wide from the edge of the area, though Sallai was offside in the build up.
50 min Hungary keep the ball for a bit until Kerkez’s cross is cut out. There’s been a lack of conviction about their attacking play.
48 min Rodriguez plays an angled pass into the area for Xhaka, who guides it on towards Duah. His first-time curler is pushed round the mear post by the diving Gulacsi.
47 min Duah has a shot blocked after good play from Ndoye, who harassed a defender into an error.
46 min Hungary have made a half-time substitution: Bendeguz Bolla is on for Adam Lang.
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Half-time reading
Half time: Hungary 0-2 Switzerland
That was very impressive from Switzerland, who outplayed Hungary throughout and scored two classy goals. Michel Aesbischer made a first international goal for Kwadwo Duah, then scored his first for Switzerland on the stroke of half-time. It’s a long way back for Hungary.
Michel Aebischer, take a bow 🙌
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2024
A classy finish to double Switzerland's lead just before the break 🔥#Euro2024 | #HUNSUI pic.twitter.com/PQBRwDTHue
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It’s Aebischer’s first international goal, and he took it beautifully. He received a square pass on the edge of the D, used the overlapping Rodriguez by not using him and whipped a right-footed curler into the bottom corner. That’s a lovely finish.
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GOAL! Hungary 0-2 Switzerland (Aebischer 45)
A terrific goal from Michel Aebischer!
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45 min Xhaka plays a good through ball to Ndoye, whose errant cutback is intercepted. Xhaka has been excellent.
43 min The only negative for Switzerland is that, for a team who have been so dominant, they haven’t created too many chances. Poor though they have been, Hungary will still be in the game if it’s 1-0 at half-time.
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40 min: Chance for Hungary Szalai is fouled by Ndoye 35 yards from goal. Szoboszlai’s free-kick drops onto the head of Orban, who heads straight at Sommer from 10 yards. I think he was offside though.
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37 min Xhaka clips a pass down the right to Ndoye, who nutmegs Szalai beautifully near the byline. He tries to cut the ball back to Duah at the near post and Orban clears.
34 min A slightly better spell for Hungary, though they still haven’t troubled Manuel Akanji, never mind Yann Sommer in goal.
31 min Hungary win their first corner, but Szoboszlai completely overhits it. They’re not at the races.
29 min Schar marches imperiously through midfield and into the area before his shot is blocked. He appeals for handball but nobody else is interested.
27 min Xhaka and Freuler, who have almost 200 caps between them, are bossing the midfield. Schafer lunges desperately at Vargas and is a bit fortunate not to receive a yellow card.
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25 min We haven’t seen much of Hungary’s two No10s, Sallai and Szoboszlai. Switzerland have kept them really quiet.
22 min Schar has a long-range shot blocked. Switzerland have been very impressive so far.
20 min: Big save by Gulacsi! Kerkez’s awful square pass is nicked by Vargas on the edge of the D. He moves through on goal and lifts a shot that hits Gulacsi’s right shoulder and deflects behind for a corner.
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19 min Kerkez’s long cross is easily dealt with by Sommer. Switzerland look a cut above just now.
17 min Corner to Switzerland, who are bossing the game. Rodriguez’s outswinger is headed away by Varga.
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14 min Want to know more about Kwadwo Duah? Bet you do.
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GOAL! Hungary 0-1 Switzerland (Duah 13)
He was onside! What a wonderful moment for Kwadwo Duah, who has scored his first international goal in only his second game. Aesbischer created it with a terrific through ball, and Duah, who made a fine run behind Orban, swept a shot on the run past Gulacsi.
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13 min: Disallowed goal for Switzerland This might be given. Aebischer played in the new striker Duah, who finished emphatically past Gulacsi. He was flagged offside but it looks ever so tight.
🪄 Switzerland open the scoring!
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2024
After initially being ruled offside, VAR intervenes to hand Kwadwo Duah his first international goal 👏#Euro2024 | #HUNSUI pic.twitter.com/BczKkF5GoZ
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13 min “I, for one, am quite excited about this one,” says Tom Hopkins. “I read Puskas on Puskas many years ago (highly recommended, great on Hungarian history as well as football) and retrospectively fell a bit in love with that team (rather as I would with Hagi’s Romania). Still a bit annoyed about the 1954 World Cup Final tbh.
“Ignoring what’s going on politically (which, as always, the team have little to do with), a strong Central European team approaching the challenges of football in a slightly different way would be a joy.”
Retrospective Irritation is a great concept, although it sounds like something you’d hear on 6Music.
11 min “It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly 20 years since that Switzerland-Ukraine game,” says Niall Mullen. “I have never forgiven either team and always want them to lose (obviously an easier position to maintain with the Swiss in the current geopolitical climate). What is the longest grudge you’ve held (in football)?”
I tend not to dwell on things that happened exactly 11,738 days ago.
10 min Fiola makes a good break down the right and moves the ball infield to Sallai, who shoots over from 20 yards. That wasn’t a bad opportunity because he had loads of space.
7 min Nothing much to report, but the tempo is good and both teams have come to play. A win for either team would leave them needing only one point from the last two games to (almost certainly) reach the knockout stages.
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5 min Widmer is booked for a lunging tackle on Kerkez. Switzerland have made a fast start, with and without the ball.
2 min Aebischer has a shot blocked after good play on the left from Duah, though he was offside so it wouldn’t have counted.
1 min Peep peep! Hungary kick off from left to right as we watch.
A quick reminder of the teams
Hungary (3-4-2-1) Gulacsi; Lang, Orban, Szalai; Fiola, A Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; B Varga.
Substitutes: Dibusz, Szappanos, Balogh, Nego, Adam, Bolla, Kleinheiser, Gazdag, Styles, Z Nagy, Botka, Csoboth, Dardai, Horvath, Kata.
Switzerland (3-4-2-1) Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebsicher; Ndoye, Vargas; Duah.
Substitutes: Mvogo, Kobel, Stergiou, Elvedi, Embolo, Okafor, Steffen, Zesiger, Sierro, Shaqiri, Jashari, Amdouni, Rieder.
Referee Slavko Vincic (Slovenia).
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“The video you linked with clips of the 1938 match is worth a watch,” writes Kári Tulinius. “That Hungary side was the forerunner to the Magical Magyars of the 1950s. Between the wars Central Europe was probably the greatest hotbed of footballing innovation the world. Italy were dominant, but Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Switzerland, who all contested the regional precursor to the Euros, the European International Cup of Nations, were no slouches either.”
Here come the players, led by the captains Dominik Szoboszlai and Granit Xhaka. Sounds like a cracking atmosphere in Cologne.
“Hi Rob!” says Joe Pearson. “Once again, the geniuses at Fox have let down the American public. No coverage of this match. I hate that they have the rights to international competitions sewn up, when they are objectively bad at it. So you’re my companion this morning (along with all the rest of the readers). Paint pretty word pictures. Thanks!”
I’m only as good as Dominic Szoboszlai’s first touch.
“Yeah, not easy, Hungarian; famously an outlier in European languages with the closest (and not very close) relation being Finnish - another notoriously hard language for Brits to learn (15 grammatical cases!),” winces Charles Antaki. “But Styles could have a chat with our old Arsenal friend Carl Jenkinson, who played for Finland at youth level and could’ve given him a few tips. In late news: Jenkinson has ended up playing in Australia, though I don’t know how he’s getting on with the language.”
Never mind that, I’ve just realised Carl Jenkinson is still only 32.
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Hungary and Switzerland have met only once at a major tournament, when Hungary won 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 1938 World Cup. And here’s the proof.
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Switzerland team guide
Switzerland’s minimum goal is to get through the group stage. It is difficult to say whether more is possible. Opinions differ. Some believe Switzerland can achieve more and even reach the semi-finals, while others expect their tournament to be over after the group stages.
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Hungary team guide
Led by the masterful Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary are much improved in an attacking sense since Euro 2020 and now play a flowing brand of football which gives the players the freedom to flex their creative muscles.
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The kind of civic nationalism where anyone can become a Hungarian citizen may seem strange when contrasted with the ethnic nationalism rhetoric of Orban and his government. But that’s only one part of the paradox, because within the nation, the vast majority of the populace welcome these athletes with open arms.
Team news
No big surprises in the Hungary team, which includes Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez at left wing-back.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin prefers Kwadwo Duah to Breel Embolo up front. Xherdan Shaqiri, scorer of this belter at Euro 2016, is on the bench.
Hungary (3-4-2-1) Gulacsi; Lang, Orban, Szalai; Fiola, A Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; B Varga.
Substitutes: Dibusz, Szappanos, Balogh, Nego, Adam, Bolla, Kleinheiser, Gazdag, Styles, Z Nagy, Botka, Csoboth, Dardai, Horvath, Kata.
Switzerland (3-4-2-1) Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebsicher; Ndoye, Vargas; Duah.
Substitutes: Mvogo, Kobel, Stergiou, Elvedi, Embolo, Okafor, Steffen, Zesiger, Sierro, Shaqiri, Jashari, Amdouni, Rieder.
Referee Slavko Vincic (Slovenia).
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Hungary’s squad includes Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles. He spoke to Will Unwin about chicken noodle soup and the challenges of learning Hungarian.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Hungary v Switzerland in Cologne. This isn’t the most eyecatching game of the weekend but it’s an important one in a group where all four teams have a credible chance of qualification.
Germany’s 5-1 win over Scotland has given them early control of the group, but everything’s up for grabs, especially as the four best third-placed teams will go through to the last 16.
It’s an unwritten rule of modern tournaments that Switzerland should reach and then go out in the last 16. The only time they broke it was at the last Euros, when they beat France on penalties and then lost to Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Hungary went out at this stage in 2021, though they were in a bloody tough group and drew with both France and Germany. They have some exciting players, most notably the captain Dominik Szoboszlai, and have the potential to make a splash in the next few weeks.
Kick off 2pm.
Kicking off today's action... 🙌
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 15, 2024
🇭🇺🆚🇨🇭#EURO2024 | #HUNSUI pic.twitter.com/XC47ksUEDQ
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