Preview: Hungary vs France
In a high-stakes clash at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Hungary aims to rebound from their opening defeat as they face a confident French side fresh off a victory over Germany in their UEFA Euro 2020 Group F encounter.
Hungary
```htmlHungary failed to pick up a point in their opening game against Portugal after a tepid performance that saw them concede three times in six minutes. It was all about Portugal from the start, as Diogo Jota made the first attempt on goal, but Hungary's goalkeeper, Gulacsi, made a save to keep the score-line level.
He denied another attempt after a half-turn and a shot before Cristiano Ronaldo missed a glorious chance to hand Portugal the lead. Moments later, the goalkeeper stopped Pepe's goal-bound header, diving to his right to deflect the ball away from the face of goal.
Bruno Fernandes fired at goal, but Peter Gulacsi, who appeared to be in prime form, put in a fantastic save to keep his side in contention for a draw. Later, Hungary's Szabolcs Schön thought he had put his side in front, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Unfortunately for Hungary, Raphael Guerreiro’s 84th-minute shot deflected into the net, leaving the outstanding Gulacsi helpless. Moments later, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot, and then struck again in the 90th minute to complete his brace. The match finished 3-0 in favor of Portugal.
This was Hungary's first defeat in six games across all competitions. The loss leaves them with no points, a goal difference of -3, and at the bottom of Group F after 0 wins, 0 draws, and 1 loss. Coach Marco Rossi is expected to employ a defensive 5-4-1 formation on Saturday as he hopes to secure at least a point.
```France
```htmlMeanwhile, France kicked off their Euro 2020 campaign with a 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday in what could be called the most anticipated game of Match Day 1. France switched seamlessly between defense and attack.
They put bodies behind the ball, counting on the blistering speed of Mbappe and the nifty footwork, coupled with the remarkable hold-up play of Benzema to launch attacks at the slight push of a button. The well-thought-out plan gave goalkeeper Hugo Lloris plenty of protection as crosses after crosses were thwarted by bodies in blue shirts.
Paul Pogba had missed a fine chance after putting his header above the cross-bar before Dortmund's Mats Hummels (20’ O.G) fired the ball past his own goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer. It was a failed attempt to clear the ball as Kylian Mbappe was lurking in the shadows behind him.
Moments later, Karim Benzema saw his goal ruled out for off-side, and the score-line remained the same until full-time despite chances at both ends. "We played a great game against a very good opponent," coach Didier Deschamps said in his post-match interview. "We weren't far away from scoring the second goal," he added.
The Blues remain unbeaten in six games: DWWWWW, and have 3 points after 1W, 0D, and 0L as they sit 2nd in Group F, below Portugal while having a goal difference of +1. A 4—3—1—2 formation is expected on Saturday after Tuesday's performance against Germany.
```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.