Preview: Germany vs Hungary
In a high-stakes Group F clash at the Allianz Arena, Germany look to capitalize on their exhilarating win over Portugal, while Hungary aims to shake up the standings after a hard-fought draw with France.
Germany
Germany defeated Portugal in Saturday’s six-goal thriller on Match Day 2. Their celebrations were short-lived when Serge Gnabry’s goal was disallowed due to a handball in the build-up.
Before they knew it, Portugal struck first with a well-executed counter-attack. Diogo Jota’s tricky side-footed pass to Cristiano Ronaldo allowed Portugal’s top scorer an easy finish, putting his side in the lead.
However, the tables turned quickly as Germany found themselves in front after two own goals from Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro. This advantage was further extended when Germany scored two more goals in a span of ten minutes.
Kai Havertz netted the first, followed by a fine header from Robin Gosens. Despite a brilliant volley assist from Ronaldo, allowing Diogo Jota to score, the match finished 4-2 in Germany's favor.
This victory gives Germany a recent form of WLDWLW, with 3 points and a goal difference of +1. On Wednesday, it’s likely we might see another 3-4-2-1 formation with Gnabry leading the attack in Joachim Low’s starting line-up.
Hungary
Hungary were held to a 1-1 draw by France on Match Day 2. They took the lead through Attila Fiola at the stroke of halftime, but a second-half goal by Antoine Griezmann leveled the scoreline.
A passionate Marco Rossi had fine words for his team, expressing admiration for their performance. "My team played exceedingly good," he said in his press conference after the game. "Today, they performed, it was unimaginable," he quipped.
However, the draw leaves Hungary at the bottom of Group F with a goal difference of -3 after picking up their first point at the end of Match Day 2, recording no wins, one draw, and one loss. It has been reported that UEFA will investigate incidents of racism suspected to have taken place when Hungary met Portugal and France on home soil.
A win for Hungary over Germany will see the latter at the bottom of the group at the end of Match Day 3, assuming Portugal defeats France in another Group F fixture. Marco Rossi is unlikely to make major changes to the side after picking up their first point, hence a 3-5-2 formation is expected on Wednesday.
Hungary returns behind a form that reads: WWWDLD.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.