Capable of sealing qualification for the Euro 2024 knockout stages with a game to spare, hosts Germany square off with Hungary in Wednesday’s Group A battle at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men became record-breakers in a 5-1 thrashing of Scotland on the opening day, while their Hungarian foes were put to the sword 3-1 by Switzerland.
Match preview
Starting the European Championships as they mean to finish it, Germany made tournament history in their dismantling of a sorry Scotland side at the Allianz Arena last Friday, recording the biggest opening win that the men’s competition has ever seen.
That was one of a spectacular seven records smashed by Nagelsmann’s merciless men, who had two 21-year-old phenoms in Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala to thank for their initial advantage, before Kai Havertz slotted home from the spot after Ryan Porteous’s dreadful tackle on Ilkay Gundogan.
While Antonio Rudiger’s own goal prolonged Germany’s streak without a clean sheet at major tournaments – which now stands at 13 matches – two thumping Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can strikes either side of the Real Madrid man’s unfortunate contribution spared his blushes and sparked Munich mania.
Taking their rightful place at the summit of Group A – ahead of the Swiss on goal difference – Germany’s top-two finish will be confirmed if they prevail on Wednesday evening, as even if Scotland can stun Switzerland, their inferior head-to-head record would leave them unable to usurp Die Mannschaft.
Nagelsmann’s reign may have got off to a mediocre start, but the Euro 2024 hosts are now riding the wave of a five-match unbeaten sequence – four of which have ended in victory – and they have all the motivation they require to seal their top-two finish against a recent bogey team of theirs.
It has been a little under three years since Hungary dug in for a 2-2 draw against Germany in the Euro 2020 group stage, before managing to take four points off of Die Mannschaft in the most recent Nations League, where Marco Rossi masterminded a remarkable 1-0 win in September 2022.
Adam Szalai was the hero of the hour that day with the game’s only goal – and his final one for the national team before his retirement – but Hungary certainly could have done with his talismanic figure up front during their unsuccessful war with Switzerland over the weekend.
Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer launched the Rossocrociati into a merited two-goal lead before Murat Yakin’s side switched off – allowing Barnabas Varga to cut the deficit in half – but Switzerland withstood late Magyars pressure and restored their two-goal advantage right at the death via Breel Embolo’s delicate lob.
Consequently, Rossi’s troops lie third in the embryonic Group A rankings – which could suffice for a knockout berth based on their performance – and only lead Scotland on goal difference, so their top-two aspirations could come to a swift end in Stuttgart this week.
The Switzerland-inflicted defeat was just the second that Hungary have experienced in their last 17 matches in all competitions, and while both of those losses have come this month, a 12-match scoring sequence should offer the Magyars faithful the tiniest crumb of comfort.
Team News
An almost perfect evening for Germany against Scotland saw none of Nagelsmann’s players pick up any knocks, and both fans and neutrals were pleased to see Gundogan emerge unharmed from Porteous’s sickening challenge, having caught the Barcelona man on the ankle with the full force of his studs.
Gundogan is expected to form a part of an unchanged XI for the tournament hosts, working in tandem with man-of-the-match Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen hotshot Wirtz, now the youngest German man to score a goal at the European Championships.
As Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah were both booked against Scotland, they run the risk of sitting out the final group game versus Switzerland if they pick up a yellow card on Wednesday, although it may be preferable for them to miss that match if Germany have already qualified.
Meanwhile, Hungary head coach Rossi was unable to call upon either Loic Nego or Callum Styles for the loss to Switzerland due to unspecified fitness concerns, and while both men are stepping up their recoveries, neither are expected to be fighting for a starting role.
Even with Nego absent, Rossi could still opt for a change on the right-hand side in the shape of Bendeguz Bolla – one of two players walking a suspension tightrope alongside Attila Szalai – or Endre Botka, after giving 34-year-old Attila Fiola the nod in the opener.
Now the youngest male captain in Euros history, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai cut a frustrated figure before providing the assist for Varga’s header on Saturday, and a 44th cap now awaits the 23-year-old.
Germany possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz; Havertz
Hungary possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Orban, Lang, Szalai; Bolla, Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; Varga