The final round of games in Group A awaits, with the two most vulnerable sides set to go head-to-head. Scotland will face Hungary at the Stuttgart Arena, with the group’s third and fourth-placed sides clinging on to their qualification hopes.
By Matthew Smith
It’s been a disappointing start to the tournament for both Hungary and Scotland, but they will be forced to give it everything on Sunday as one of them will be heading home by the end of the game. It was a night to forget in Munich for the Tartan Army against Germany in the opening fixture of Euro 2024, shipping five goals and shattering the confidence of the supporters before half-time.
Steve Clarke’s side showed signs of improvement in their second match after their heavy defeat to Germany in the opener, but an injury to Kieran Tierney has dented their chances of getting a result.
The Arsenal defender plays a crucial role in Scotland’s five-at-the-back system, slotting in on the left-hand side of the central defenders. Tierney dovetails well with Andy Robertson on the left, with the latter playing in a wing-back role. A tweak of his setup would be in the pipeline from Clarke, especially with Ryan Porteous suspended.
Scott McTominay continues to show his attacking threat from midfield after his deflected strike against Switzerland made it eight goals in 12 Scotland appearances for the Manchester United midfielder this season.
Against Germany, the Hungarians weren’t afraid to try and stamp their authority on the host nation, creating four big chances throughout, but their finishing let them down on the night. Dominik Szoboszlai is the one to watch, achieving an average FotMob match rating of 6.98 so far, including a 7.6 against Switzerland in the opening match.
Throughout the tournament, Hungary have missed six big chances while only finding the back of the net one on occasion, so there’s an argument to suggest they’ve had a slice of misfortune. Getting the ball into advanced areas hasn’t been a problem for Marco Rossi’s men, but putting it into the back of the net has been a struggle.
Hungary are unable to finish in the top two as they trail four points behind Switzerland, so nothing more than a victory will do for The Magyars. It could make for an entertaining clash on Sunday night as the two sides desperately compete for a pivotal three points.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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