The Tartan Army takes on Hungary in must-win Day 3 encounter.
In a high-stakes showdown at MHPArena on June 23, Scotland and Hungary clash in a must-win battle, as both sides fight for a historic spot in the knockout stages of the European Championship.
Scotland
Scotland come into this game following a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Match Day 2. The Tartan Army took an early lead through Scott McTominay's deflected strike at the 12th minute. However, Xherdan Shaqiri equalized with a remarkable goal at the 26th minute.
The result places Scotland in 3rd position in Group A, with one point and a goal difference of -4. This will mark Scotland and Hungary's first competitive encounter, with all previous nine meetings being international friendlies. A victory is crucial for Scotland to stay in contention for the next round, as they have never advanced to the last sixteen in the tournament's history.
Scottish midfielder Kenneth McLean expressed optimism, saying, "The manager knows what these players are capable of, and that's what we want to do — go and create history. We think we've given ourselves a great opportunity, and we know that we can take it." Despite this, Steve Clarke's team has only won two of their last 11 group games at the European Championship.
A 3-4-1-2 formation, similar to the one used against Switzerland, is expected, with Che Adams and John McGinn leading the attack. However, Kieran Tierney is out of the competition due to a hamstring injury. Tierney shared his disappointment on Instagram, writing, "Heartbroken doesn't cut it. Love this team and these boys. This too shall pass." Additionally, Ryan Porteous is serving a two-match ban following a red card on the opening day.
Hungary
Hungary suffered a 2-0 loss to host nation Germany on Wednesday, leaving them at the bottom of Group A with a goal difference of -4. Goals from Jamal Musiala and İlkay Gündoğan, who walked away with the MVP award, condemned the Magyars to successive defeats.
Having failed to earn a point in two outings, Hungary is on the brink of crashing out of the competition. However, Marco Rossi’s men will be looking to secure a convincing win over Scotland in their final group match, with the hope of sneaking into the next round as one of the best third-placed teams.
"We are not mathematically out of the Euros, and in the final game, we'll try everything to win," Marco Rossi said in a post-match conference. Rossi is expected to retain the 3-4-2-1 formation deployed against Germany, with Barnabás Varga in attack.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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