EM mood in the basement: Hungary’s coach raises the white flag before DFB duel

EM atmosphere directly in the basement
Hungary’s coach raises the white flag before DFB duel

By Martin Armbruster, Cologne
16.06.2024, 10:11 a.m.

While the Swiss are also immediately igniting European Championship euphoria, Hungary are showing themselves to be shockingly weak in their 1:3 defeat against the Swiss. The Hungarian coach is painting a pretty bleak picture for the match against Germany.

Less than an hour had been played on Saturday afternoon in Cologne when something very amateurish happened to Hungarian playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai against the Swiss. A simple ball reception, which is usually as natural for the Liverpool FC professional as breathing in and out, failed. The ball did not obey Szoboszlai, slipped through the legs of the technically best Hungarian and out of the goal, leaving the 23-year-old in despair. A scene with symbolic significance. Once the Swiss gave the ball away, the Hungarians did not know what to do with it.

And yet the duel between Germany’s group opponents could have taken a turn. Because the Swiss had switched to administration mode and were lulling themselves into a bit of a slumber, Szoboszlai had another chance. Around ten minutes after his mistake, he crossed the ball smoothly into the “Nati” penalty area. Barnabás Vargas only had to move his head slightly forward to beat goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Hungary 1, Switzerland 2. A previously completely one-sided game was open again out of nowhere – and suddenly there was a great atmosphere in the stadium.

The Hungarian fans, who had previously been driven onto the defensive for long stretches by shouts of “Hopp-Schwyz” and cowbells, raised the alarm. For a few minutes it seemed as if Switzerland would have to prepare for a heated final phase. But only for a few minutes. In this quarter-hour period, the second game in Group A went back and forth. Then the Hungarians stopped attacking again, and the Swiss ball distributor Granit Xhaka ordered the Swiss back into the opponent’s half.

Hungary only a shadow of its former days

After a hair-raising mistake by Leipzig’s Willi Orban, Breel Embolo made it clear in injury time. It didn’t matter that a compression sleeve, a muscle aid, came off his leg as he ran towards the Hungarian goal. Embolo’s goal was also symbolic: the Swiss didn’t have to flex all their muscles that day to win comfortably. The Hungarians were simply too weak.
Nobody had expected such a bloodless performance from the Hungarians. After all, the Hungarians have had a reputation for being an extremely uncomfortable opponent for a few years now. Difficult to play against, as they say these days.

Compact, well-organized, strong in tackles and with efficient pinpricks from the offensive department, the Italian Marco Rossi’s team has made life difficult for some favored opponents in recent years. At the 2021 European Championship, for example, when the German team only just managed a 2-2 draw in Munich and secured their ticket to the round of 16. A year later, the DFB team lost 1-0 at home to Hungary in the Nations League.

Hungary had also not let itself down in the European Championship qualifiers, marching through Group G undefeated. It was all the more surprising how self-confident the team appeared in Cologne. “It’s hard to say that anyone was good today, apart from two or three exceptions,” said coach Rossi after the game. One of these exceptions was goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Without the RB Leipzig veteran, they would not have conceded just three goals.

Hungary coach: Germany the top favorite

“The first half was very bad. We were too passive,” criticised Rossi. In fact, the Hungarians left the Swiss a mysterious amount of space, did not press, and allowed Leverkusen’s champion hero Xhaka to spin his strings undisturbed in midfield. The Swiss took advantage of the space. With a relatively simple pass into the alley, Michel Aebischer, in his first European Championship game, outmaneuvered the Hungarian defence, and former Nuremberg player Kwadwoh Duah (also a European Championship debutant) only had to push the ball in in the 12th minute.

Too many of his players did not perform as well as they used to against Switzerland, complained Rossi. “There are not many strategies to prevent individual mistakes.” The Italian did not exclude himself in his general criticism. “I am the coach and I have to take responsibility,” he said, speaking of a “tactical misunderstanding.” Rossi’s counterpart Murat Yakin – under pressure in Switzerland after a difficult qualification – had surprised the 59-year-old tactical fox with his formation. Nobody had the “no names” Aebischer and Duah on their list. “You have to make the best of your qualities,” said Yakin. Switzerland did this, Hungary did not. Not by a long shot.

A win against Germany on Wednesday looks “impossible” after the dismal performance against the Swiss, said Rossi, praising the DFB team. “Germany is a different team than at the last European Championships, as they proved against Scotland. In my opinion, they are the biggest favorites.” If national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team wins the match against the Hungarians, who are now under great pressure, in Stuttgart, the round of 16 is as good as certain. Based on the impressions from the first match day in Group A, it can be said that the chances are more than good.