And here’s Nick Ames’s match report from Munich. Thanks for reading.
And here’s Andy Hunter’s report on Ronaldo’s rescue act in Budapest:
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I’ll post Nick Ames’s match report shortly but before I do, here’s the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, showing its support for the LGBTQ+ community around the world. An important statement.
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The last 16 draw
There are some tasty ties, there:
Belgium v Portugal
Italy v Austria
France v Switzerland
Croatia v Spain
Sweden v Ukraine
England v Germany
Netherlands v Czech Republic
Wales v Denmark
England really want to take a look at how Hungary dealt with Germany’s wing-backs in that game. The Magyars limited the influence of both Kimmich and Gosens and the result was that a centre-back, Ginter, was Germany’s chief supplier of crosses. Southgate’s choice of full-backs may be key.
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Well, what a night. The so-called Group of Death almost claimed a big scalp but in the end the Big Three survived. “It’s kind of odd to see Italy getting out of the group stage in Germanic fashion while the Germans squeak through with so much Italian-style drama,” notes Paulo Padilha.
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Full-time: Germany 2-2 Hungary
Germany qualify and Hungary are out. Hungary were excellent and can feel hard done by. Germany were passive for much of the game but Goretzka added punch in attack and rescued Jogi Löw. Germany will face England in the last 16.
90+3 min: Germany aren’t letting Hungary have a sniff of the ball. Then Sané wallops a dreadful cross wide though when he could have kept possession. But there’s not enough time left for Hungary is there?
90+1 min: Germany look full of beans now and aren’t letting Hungary out. They’ve peaked at the right time in this match. “No problem, we’ve got this.” There are four minutes of injury time.
90 min: Germany win a corner and waste a bit of time after playing it short. Unless something else bonkers happens – and let’s face it, it could – we’re set for a last-16 tie between Germany and England. That won’t get much press coverage will it.
88 min: Fiola is off and Nikolic is on. And Kleinheisler is replaced by Lovrencsics.
87 min: Have Hungary got anything left? They’ve been brilliant and it will be a cruel blow if they go out.
86 min: Kimmich is half a toe nail away from conceding a penalty but does indeed touch the ball as Fiola skipped into the box. Phew!
85 min: My word. What drama. Germany haven’t yet conceded so they’re doing better than last time. In the buildup to that goal Musiala played a key role in linking up play on the left before Kroos worked the ball into the box.
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Goal! Germany 2-2 Hungary (Goretzka 84)
Is this the goal that keeps Germany in? Goretzka hammers a shot from the edge of the area past Gulacsi to cause uproar! Gulacsi gets a foot to it but a slight deflection carries it in. They’re second now and Hungary are out!
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81 min: Löw rolls the dice. Ginter and Gosens are off and Vollands and 18-year-old Musiala are on.
80 min: Orbán dives in front of Sané to head clear. Then Kroos takes matters into his own hands and drives into the box before playing a one-two with Gosens and slamming a right-footed shot from a tight angle just wide. To be fair the ball was behind him and he did well to get such a good connection on it.
79 min: The only sound in the Allianz Arena is from the Hungary fans, who cheer loudly as Müller cranes his neck in vain and heads well over from a Gosens cross.
78 min: Kroos plays a dangerous inswinger towards Goretzka. The ball evades him and Gulacsi does well to watch it skip up in front of him before nestling safely in his chest.
76 min: Time to get busy Germany. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. They’ve had 75% possession but they’re going nowhere with it. Hungary’s midfield are giving them no gaps to thread passes through.
74 min: Goretzka lays a cross off to Müller, who whacks the ball straight at a defender and out for a throw. Meanwhile, Sallai is off and Schön is on. Sallai’s cross to create the firsat goal was a thing of beauty. Schön is also a winger so it’s a like for like swap. He plays for FC Dallas.
73 min: Sané zips a low pass forwards to no one. He’s not been at it today. Not that many of his teammates have been, mind.
71 min: Between those goals, Müller came on for Gnabry. He looked as stunned as everyone else in the Allianz Arena when Schafer headed home. Ginter whips a delicious cross in from the right that Goretzka is this close to heading home.
70 min: And breathe. So Germany were going through for about 45 seconds but Hungary were first to the loose ball and showed all the desire that Germany have lacked. The upshot? Die Mannschaft are heading out again.
Goal! Germany 1-2 Hungary (Schafer 68)
What’s going on? Yes, they really have just scored. What a way to puncture the mood! Schafer runs on to a hooked through-ball and Schafer nods past the onrushing Neuer. Germany were asleep. Hungary weren’t. They want that second place.
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Goal! Germany 1-1 Hungary (Havertz 67)
Germany have the breakthrough! Fiola hacked Kimmich down. From the free-kick Gulacsi comes flying off his line and misses the Kimmich free-kick. Hummels heads it towards goal behind him and Havertz nods it home.
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Ronaldo equalises for Portugal! Germany are going out again!
63 min: And what’s this? Over in Budapest, Ronaldo has scored another penalty. It’s Portugal 2-2 France. Germany really need to show some fight. They’re sleepwalking their way out of Euro 2020. When are they going to wake up?
62 min: From the free-kick Sallai scrapes the near post with a vicious effort. He has some right foot on him.
61 min: Then Sané uses his hand to scoop the ball away from Fiola, who was rushing into the box. He’s booked for a dreadful bit of filth right on the edge of the box.
59 min: If there’s a worst corner of the tournament award, Sané has just won it. He wallops the ball about 20 yards past the box.
58 min: Fiola whips a vicious ball into the near post that Neuer watches intently before hammering clear with double fists. Then Germany break and Havertz takes a poor touch in the box when he has a good chance to shoot and Hungary clear for a corner.
57 min: Gundogan, who had a niggly injury this week, is taken off and Goretzka is on in his place. They need him to inject some life into this performance. It’s been insipid. Meanwhile, Hungary have a free-kick near the far corner flag.
55 min: Another free-kick on the right for Germany. Kimmich whips it into the near post. Hungary have a few stabs at clearing it before Rudiger mishits a shot at goal from the edge of the area that is heading for the far corner but Attila Szalai clears. There’s no invention. Löw needs to change things.
53 min: Germany win a free-kick wide on the right. Kroos bends a lovely ball in towards Hummels but Botka throws every bit of himself at the ball and gets there before the big Germany centre-back. Outstanding defending.
51 min: Over in Budapest, Benzema has given France a 2-1 lead. That means Germany are going through again and Portugal, the current champions, are currently tumbling out. My word! That would means England face a harrowing last-16 exit to Hungary. Maybe this is the Group of Death after all.
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50 min: Hungary have an adventure up the right wing, where Sallai holds up possession well before finding support behind him. Then Hungary knock it around a bit at the back before Germany win back possession.
49 min: Sané and Havertz play a little one-two on the right but Hungary shirts swarm around the Chelsea attacker and the ball is cleared. This is going to be an exercise in lock-picking for Germany.
47 min: Germany boss possession and then speed it up a bit, with Kimmich finding Gnabry in the box. The Bayern man spins and slams a cross into Fiola, who blocked bravely.
Peep! It's the second half!
45 min: No changes for either side at half-time. Will Germany extend Löw’s Germany tenure? They need a goal to do so.
Is Müller set to come on? Maybe at some point:
Thomas Müller out warming up with some intensity. Bit of a risk on his knee with this grass right now as @ruhrpoet points out. Joachim Löw comes up to him to check how he is. Not coming on imminently but keeps warming up on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/iErNfhHkbp
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) June 23, 2021
A few emails: “This is beginning to feel like the great flood we saw a couple of months ago in the El Clásico,” writes Ruth Purdue. “That’s that wonderful game where players changed their shirts and skins during the game – especially the second half.” Maybe if Germany reverted to their regular white they’d be all right.
And here’s Ian Copestake: “Shame it’s too late in the evening for the storm to clear and be replaced by a rainbow. Uefa would have to stop the match.”
I’m going to grab a half-time cup of tea. Here’s some reading for you:
Half-time: Germany 0-1 Hungary
Hungary continued where they left off against France, playing with huge desire and no little skill on the counter-attack. Germany have been laboured and a shadow of the team who thrashed Portugal. They’re going out unless they buck their ideas up and find an equaliser.
45 min: Havertz clatters a half-chance at goal that is blocked. The ball richochets back to him and he slashes a horrible shot well wide in the way I often do playing eight-a side on a Monday. Must do better.
43 min: Botka trots back on while Germany huff and puff playing pretty triangles around the Hungary penalty area that get them nowhere. I have barely mentioned Gosens, who starred against Portugal. He hasn’t had any space to run into at all.
41 min: Botka is writhing around in agony after turning his ankle as he slipped on the wet surface. He’s given some treatment and thankfully it doesn’t look like he’s as badly injured as first feared. He is taken off for further assessment. Hungary will carry on with 10 for now.
40 min: The rain has tuned this into a wet and wild affair. The ball’s skidding around and making holding on to it very difficult. Kimmich does find a bit of space on the right but his cross is headed away just as Sané was shaping to head at goal.
38 min: Schafer has a crack from distance that flies a foot over the bar. Germany win back possession but are really struggling to find any space in behind Hungary. Are they missing Müller? I think they are. He could find space in a packed phone box.
36 min: Kielan Thompson does our subeditors’ work for them: “If it stays like this, I suggest headline and subheadline to be: “SZALAI COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER’S DAZE? Stunned Germany neither lovely or temperate in shocking Hungary KO.” It’s lovely but we may need to add some search engine optimisation, Kielan.
34 min: The storm clouds have brought thunder and an absolute monsoon down on Munich. It very much sums up Germany’s mood right now. Kimmich is stopped by an exemplary Fiola tackle on the right wing.
32 min: Adam Szalai races into the box and drops a shoulder to make space for a shot past Hummels, but the wily old German sees it coming and blocks his attempted shot. A moment later Fiola whips a cross in towards Szalai but Rudiger spots the danger and stoops to clear. This is a decent spell for Hungary.
30 min: It’s getting a bit niggly now, which will suit Hungary. Gundogan is booked for a late tackle as Hungary come forward. Over in Budapest, Cristiano Ronaldo has given Portugal a 1-0 lead against France. That means Portugal would top the group and France would finish second and face England in the last 16. But there’s a long way to go yet.
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28 min: Hungary have reversed into a ridiculously deep formation. Botka is booked for crunching into Gundogan and he will miss their next game if Hungary progress. Kroos’ free-kick comes to nothing.
27 min: Kimmich is given a bruised knee by Fiola and spits some choice invective his way as he clambers to his feet. Kroos plays the free-kick deep towards Hummels, but he can’t get over the header and it slaps off the top of his head and goes well over.
25 min: Ginter, who is supposed to be playing as one of three centre-backs, is skipping up the right wing at will and curling crosses in at every opportunity. Is Chris Wilder assisting Löw in his twilight days as Germany boss?
24 min: Kroos is starting to stitch together moves in midfield. Hummels plays a Modric-like outside-of-the-foot dink into the box that is cleared and then Kimmich whips a vicious ball to the back post that just evades Sané. Germany are coming in waves now.
22 min: Hummels clatters the bar with a header! A corner was played short to Ginter, who swung in a cross from the right and the big man thumped the ball on to the corner of bar and post. Thirty seconds later Hummels, still lingering with intent in the box, created a chance for Ginter, who jabbed a tame shot straight at Gulacsi from eight yards. He was under pressure, to be fair. Now we have a game on our hands.
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21 min: Ian Copestake is back: “The internet seems to have cut off your comment on 12 min. I assume the full text is: Germany are bottom of the group as it stands. But still go through.”
20 min: Hungary are so good in the transitions. Their wing backs are getting up and down so quickly that when Germany win back possession and attack, a wall of Magyars has been set up in front of them in next to no time.
18 min: Moments later Havertz strides into the box and pulls the ball back for the inrushing Gnabry, but Gulacsi gets a fingertip on to the low cross and diverts it away from the Germany forward. That saved his team what would have been a certain goal.
16 min: Germany move through the gears up the left and win a throw-in but Havertz mis-controls the ball and Hungary win a free-kick after it squirts up and hits the Chelsea forward’s hand.
14 min: Germany are suddenly looking a bit more alert. Dirk Frei thinks he knows why Hungary are so motivated. “This is the first competitive match between Hungary and Germany since the 4 of July 1954. All others in between have been friendlies. Finally the chance for Hungary to take revenge!”
12 min: Germany are bottom of the group as it stands. Yikes!
Goal! Germany 0-1 Hungary (Adam Szalai 11)
Well, this is unexpected. Roland Sallai whips a delicious cross in from the right that Adam Szalai stoops to head powerfully into the corner past Neuer, who could do nothing to stop it.
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8 min: Rudiger heads wide at the back post after Kimmich had whipped a curling cross in from the left that bounced just before the Chelsea defender, who did well to get anything on it.
7 min: “Safe to say the Germans won the anthem-off,” writes Ian Copestake. “The Hungarian one started like a funeral dirge and ended a few notes lower.” Yes, you certainly couldn’t dance to it, Ian. Not even a DFA remix could bring that to life.
6 min: Attila Szalai scoops a lovely pass in towards Sallai, who is in a dangerous position, just inside the box, but Hummels stretches his hefty frame to get a toe on the ball and Neuer cleans up. It is Hungary who now look livelier.
5 min: Sallai clatters a cross at Rudiger and Hungary win a corner. But as so many corners do, it comes to nothing.
4 min: Kimmich takes a delightful touch to control a high ball coming over his shoulder in the box. He shifts his body shape and prods a shot at goal from a tight angle that Gulacsi does well to scoop away. That’s wonderful technique from the wing back.
3 min: Sané tries to escape down the left flank but the ball skids off the wet surface and away from him. It’s been a decent start by Germany.
2 min: This just happened during the national anthems but it wasn’t shown on TV coverage. So, here it is.
Oh wow! One spectator just ran on with a rainbow flag during the Hungarian national anthem. Loud cheers from the Germany block pic.twitter.com/EDJzdV0tbx
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) June 23, 2021
Peep!
1 min: Germany, wearing black, get the game under way. They’re shooting from left to right on my TV. Hungary, in white, are going the other way.
There are plenty of rainbow flags and motifs around the arena as we prepare for kick-off. One of them is being worn by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. His captain’s armband.
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The teams trot out on to the pitch and it is time for the national anthems. The few hundred Hungary fans belt out this number as do the players. Then the German team and fans give us a rousing version of Deutschlandlied. It’s game time!
It has been raining heavily in Munich (and still is, I think) which could make the ball zip around tonight. With both teams playing with wing backs, expect the ball to be fizzed in behind for the wide men to chase.
Some were wondering whether the person responsible for lighting up the Allianz Arena might go rogue and just do the rainbow display anyway. This picture would suggest not. A lovely photo, though.
How good were Germany against Portugal? And not just the way they zipped the ball around so fluidly but the mental strength they showed after conceding on the break. They just carried on doing the same thing, bossing possession, attacking ferociously down the flanks and pressing tenaciously throughout.
Catch up on the match reports from Group E, where there were 10 (TEN) goals. Will we see a goal-fest in Group F this evening?
Some pre-match music for Viktor Orbán.
Germany are obviously huge favourites this evening. But it was not always that way. Ferenc Puskas and his Mighty Magyars were the overwhelming favourites to beat West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final having hammered them 8-3 just two weeks earlier. But the game did not follow the script as John Ashdown makes clear in this wonderful re-telling of the Miracle of Bern.
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The teams!
Germany (3-4-3): Manuel Neuer (captain); Antonio Rudiger, Mats Hummels, Matthias Ginter; Robin Gosens, Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan, Joshua Kimmich; Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Subs: Halstenberg, Volland, Werner, Leno, Musiala, Sule, Neuhaus, Goretzka, Trapp, Can, Koch, Müller.
Hungary (3-5-2): Peter Gulacsi; Endre Botka, Willi Orban, Attila Szalai; Loic Nego, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Adam Nagy, Andras Schafer, Attila Fiola; Roland Sallai, Adam Szalai (captain). Subs: Lang, Kecskes, Holender, Dibusz, Lovrencsics, Roland Varga, Siger, Kevin Varga, Bogdan, Nikolic, Schon, Bolla.
Referee: Sergei Karasev (Russia)
So Müller’s knee injury sees him drop to the bench for Germany with Sane replacing him. And Klostermann, who had a muscle injury, is not even in the squad. At first glance, Hungary look unchanged from the 1-1 draw with France.
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There have been goals galore in Group E, where Sweden have topped the group after a pulsating 3-2 win over Robert Lewandowski. Sorry, Poland. And Spain have raced through with them after hammering Slovakia 5-0. Slovakia and Poland are out.
The rainbow-decorated fans continue to stream towards the Allianz Arena. Here’s a select few pictures to give you an idea of the atmosphere in Munich after Uefa’s decision to stop the Allianz Arena from being lit up.
Preamble
Good evening. Germany stuck it to the doubters when they took Portugal apart last weekend with a performance that showed they can still be a bruising international heavyweight when it matters. This evening a draw will be enough to secure safe passage to the last 16 but only a win will do for their opponents, Hungary, who gave France an almighty scare when drawing 1-1 in Budapest. If Germany attack in the freewheeling style they did against Portugal then Hungary’s chances of getting that win will be slim at best. Germany may have to make a few changes. Thomas Müller is expected to be out with a knee injury and Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan, and Lukas Klostermann have been absent for parts of recent training sessions with niggly injuries.
The buildup to this game has been dominated by news that Uefa has turned down a request from the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, for the Allianz Arena to be lit up in rainbow lights for this match. Instead, Uefa has suggested the stadium does a rainbow display on another night as it is a direct political response to Hungary’s decision to ban LGBTQ+ content in schools and on children’s TV shows. Let’s be honest, it’s a dreadful decision and one that is in fact hugely contradictory, given Uefa dropped an investigation into Manuel Neur’s decision to wear a rainbow armband because it was for a “good cause”.
It’s now emerged that Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has cancelled his trip to Munich to watch the match following widespread criticism of his government and, presumably, a deep-rooted fear of rainbows. Light show or not, the criticism of Uefa and Orbán’s policy is a result for Reiter and let’s hope the show of support for the LGBTQ+ community around and inside the ground this evening is a resounding one. Many of the 11,000 fans attending will be given rainbow flags to wave inside the ground, as this brilliant video from regular Football Weekly panellist Archie Rhind-Tutt details. I hope they are given braces like Archie’s, too. They’re truly magnificent.
Germany-Hungary! Not really important in the grand scheme of things. Greetings from the Fußball Arena München ™️ 🌈 #DontTellViktor pic.twitter.com/gAtdMDXBpz
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) June 23, 2021
The Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka spoke sense on the subject this week. “It would be completely absurd if we had to apologise for it because it is absolutely clear what that stands for,” he said. “We as a football world want to counter racism and homophobia with diversity.” Damn right, Leon. In Munich today, however, some of Hungary’s black-shirted ultras were seen holding a banner that read: “God is with you Viktor”. Will Uefa have much to say about that message if it makes its way into the stadium later?
Group F has lived up to its big billing so far, with Hungary doing a fine job of mixing it with the three modern-day heavyweights they have been lumped in with. Is it the Group of Death? Not really. Germany, France and Portugal can still all progress. Though the holders Portugal, who face France in Budapest in the other game, look most in danger. Let’s just call it the Group of F for now and hope for some more enthralling action before the knockouts. I’ll bring you the team news shortly.
