England really want to take a look at how Hungary dealt with Germany’s wing-backs in that games. The Magyars limited the influence of both Kimmich and Gosens and the result was that a centre-back, Ginter, was Germany chief supplier of crosses. Southgate’s choice of full-backs may be key.
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.
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 Krros worked the ball into the box.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1)
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
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:
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.
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.
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