Jamal Musiala scored once again as Germany maintained their perfect start to Euro 2024 with a victory over Hungary, becoming the first team to advance to the knockout stages.
The Bayern Munich forward was impressive throughout the match, scoring midway through the first half and narrowly missing another goal soon after. He received a standing ovation when substituted late in the second half.
Hungary was frustrated by Musiala’s goal, claiming a foul by Ilkay Gundogan on defender Willi Orban before the Barcelona midfielder assisted Musiala, who fired the ball into the roof of the net. A VAR check confirmed the on-field decision, allowing Musiala to celebrate with his teammates in front of Hungary supporters.
Hungary thought they had equalized just before halftime, but Roland Sallai’s rebound header was disallowed for offside. Germany then extended their lead in the second half when Ilkay Gundogan, unmarked, easily slotted the ball past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
After a dominant 5-1 win over Scotland, Germany had to work harder for this victory, with Hungary posing occasional threats and defending stubbornly. Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai showcased his set-piece skills, forcing a save from Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and coming close again but was blocked by Jonathan Tah.
Germany’s performance was encouraging, displaying creativity and control, ultimately securing six points from their first two games. They are now assured a spot in the last 16, and a victory over Switzerland in Frankfurt on Sunday (20:00 BST) would see them top Group A.
This result is a significant setback for Hungary, who, after an opening defeat by Switzerland, must now overcome their frustrations to beat Scotland for any chance of advancing.
“I’ve never complained in my career as a coach. I’ve never looked for excuses but what the referee did tonight – I mean, come on,” said Hungary boss Marco Rossi afterwards.
“It’s something that I think even the Germans have seen – the referee had double standards. The VAR at this level didn’t say anything.
“Germany would have won anyways because they were better than us but the referee was the worst on the pitch.”
Optimism growing as Germany see off tough opponents
Hungary are on the brink of exiting Euro 2024, but they will feel hard done by, having created enough chances to trouble the hosts in Stuttgart and showing significant improvement out of possession.
Following a poor defensive display against Switzerland, Hungary appeared close to their best, with Szoboszlai leading the charge. He drove the team up the pitch, created opportunities, and excelled in set-piece situations.
Szoboszlai’s free-kick led to Sallai’s header, which was disallowed for offside, and he also tested Neuer while continuously providing service for Hungary’s attackers.
Barnabas Varga’s header over the bar was another good chance for Hungary, but they couldn’t find the equalizer needed to unsettle Germany. Now, they face a tough task to remain in the tournament.
“What is important to win the last match is putting what our fans want on the pitch. They can accept technical mistakes. They are not stupid,” said Rossi.
“They want to see on the pitch that we are spitting our blood. This is what I ask from the guys. I don’t ask them to win or score goals, I just ask them to put in their maximum efforts.”
Meanwhile, Germany eased their way through the second half, defending their box, freshening up their attack and relying on the experience of Toni Kroos to keep things ticking in midfield.
Antonio Rudiger and Tah’s partnership at the back is strengthening and Neuer only had to make three saves – two were back-to-back when he prevented Szoboszlai’s curling free-kick and the resulting rebound from squeezing inside the post in the first half.
Aside from a 90th-minute goalline clearance from Joshua Kimmich, Germany were in full control and Gundogan’s cool finish put the icing on the cake as fans chanted, waved flags and bounced on their feet until full-time, celebrating in the stands and giving him a warm applause when their captain was substituted.
Optimism has been growing in Germany this week as supporters sense an opportunity for this talented squad to do well on home soil, and this latest victory will only add to that.
“The atmosphere is amazing. There was a fan march passing our hotel. There are so many people supporting us,” said manager Julian Nagelsmann.
“We want to win every game and if we do that we will be first in the group. We will see what happens in the other groups and who our next opponent is. I’m happy with the result. It was a tough game.”
It was not the free-flowing performance they produced in their opening match, albeit against 10-man Scotland, but it was certainly a good one at this stage of the competition.
And in 21-year-old Musiala, Germany have one of Europe’s most outstanding talents – how far he can take them is the question on everyone’s minds.