Germany drew 1-1 with Switzerland in Frankfurt at the top of Group A and confirmed their future in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Scotland did not fare so well in Stuttgart, recording a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Hungary – exiting the tournament.
Scotland came hoping to achieve what they could never do – get out of the group stage at the European Championships. Marco Rossi’s Hungarian side stood their ground as they looked to make history in their 12th major championship.
Steve Clarke’s side struggled to gain momentum in the first half – failing to create a single shot in the opening 45 minutes. They are the only team left to have done this in the competition, they first missed a goal against Germany in the tournament opener, and then they faced Hungary.
Hungary had every chance, albeit not many, with Dominik Szoboszlai coming close to getting his name on the scoresheet on several occasions. The Liverpool star once again tried to help matters, with each shot flying towards the net.
Rossi’s side continued to dominate in the final stages of the game, before a nasty collision between Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn and Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga interrupted play for several minutes.
Substitutions were made to ensure the game continued, as both sides sought that all-important goal.
Just when all hope seemed lost for both sides, Hungary’s Kevin Csoboth sent the Scots packing, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner. It took 100 minutes for a goal to be scored in the game, effectively ending Scotland’s hopes of progressing.
Hungary’s goal kept their Euro chances alive, meaning they will now be forced to sit and wait to see if they can go through as one of the third-placed teams.
Over at the Frankfurt Arena, the athletes seemed to finally face their game as Switzerland came out in full force. It was Germany who found the net first when Robert Andrich curled a shot from 25 yards out.
However, their celebrations were cut short – as VAR intervened and spotted a foul in the build-up. Switzerland were awarded a free-kick and the score returned to 0-0.
But it didn’t take long for Switzerland to take full advantage of a frustrated Germany side as Dan Ndoye headed the ball into the net – leading the group with his effort.
Murat Yakin’s team played brilliantly – reducing the space and forcing Germany to pass from side to side, desperate to find an opening.
The opportunity came in the final minutes of the game, as Niclas Fullkrug came off the bench to secure Germany’s victory in the group and bring the score to 1-1. Julian Nagelsmann’s side fought hard to get back into the game, and were rewarded in the best possible way.
Germany will next face the second placed team in Group C – which includes England, Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.
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