Germany v Hungary LIVE: Result and final score as Euro 2024 hosts qualify for knockout stages
The Euro 2024 hosts built on their impressive victory over Scotland with another win to progress to the last 16
Goals from Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan gave Germany a comfortable 2-0 win over Hungary in Group A on Wednesday that made the host nation the first side to qualify for the knockout stage at Euro 2024.
With two wins out of two, the Germans are guaranteed to be at least among the four best third-placed teams, and they will finish in the top two of the group if Scotland fail to beat Switzerland later on Wednesday. That scenario would also prevent Hungary from finishing in the top two.
Musiala gave the Germans the lead in the 22nd minute after some horrendous Hungarian defending led to the ball being poked into his path by Gundogan, and the 21-year-old needed no second invitation, hammering the ball in via a defender.
Roland Sallai had a goal ruled out in first-half stoppage time for Hungary and they wasted a number of other decent chances before Gundogan scored in the 67th minute with a simple finish after a superb build-up to wrap up the three points.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 58 minutes
A double switch for Germany, with Julian Nagelsmann seeking something different in forward areas. Niclas Fullkrug and Leroy Sane on; Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz off.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 56 minutes
Germany are beginning to threaten again. A vital foot from Willi Orban prevents Kai Havertz slotting Ilkay Gundogan in on goal.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 55 minutes
A smart double save from Peter Gulacsi, first palming away an Ilkay Gundogan cross and then leaping to his left to deny a rasping Toni Kroos 20-yarder that had clipped a defender on the way through.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 53 minutes
Lovely work from Andras Schafer, dancing down into the Germany half and carrying on under pressure from Toni Kroos. But Dominik Szoboszlai is squeezed out by a retreating Jonathan Tah and arriving Robert Andrich, who put the clamps on the Liverpool midfieder from either side.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 51 minutes
Jamal Musiala plays a pass all the way back to Manuel Neuer, Germany starting again after their initial attempt to make inroads is stalled. A more direct approach works, but Kai Havertz’s back heel into a Hungarian defender clips the striker’s shin before ricocheting behind.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 48 minutes
Better from the trailing side. Milos Kerkez gets to the byline and draws a corner. Dominik Szoboszlai’s deliver is overhit, though.
Germany 1-0 Hungary, 46 minutes
An uninspiring start from Hungary, immediately giving the ball away. Antonio Rudiger and Jonathan Tah soon push up to well inside the opposition half, from whence the former releases a speculative shot. A flick of a boot and behind for a corner, which Hungary deal with effectively.
Second half...
Manuel Neuer straps his gloves back on as he leads Germany out of the tunnel. Toni Kroos has a natter with Sandro Wagner, the former striker who is now part of Julian Nagelsmann’s coaching staff, still strategising 15 years after they came through Bayern Munich’s academy together.
Hungary were out rather earlier. No half time changes to report.
HT: Germany 1-0 Hungary
A funny half, that, Germany dominant on the ball as expected but plenty to encourage Hungary in it, too. A series of chances, threat at set pieces, that offside at the end of the half - if they can keep holding firm defensively, an equaliser might just come.
Germany, though, will feel they still have more precision to find moving forward. They’ve thrown some funky shapes at Hungary with Jamal Musiala, Ilkay Gundogan and Florian Wirtz all threatening around Kai Havertz, who is bringing them in well. Can they open up after the interval?
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