Substitute Kevin Choboth scored a last-minute goal that led Hungary to a surprise 1-0 victory over Scotland on Sunday in the third and final round of Group A matches in the European Football Championship 2024. Scotland bid farewell to the tournament and Hungary awaited the results of the other groups in the hope of qualifying for the round of 16 in the tournament. The four best teams finished third.
Hungary thus gained its first three points in the tournament to occupy third place, while Scotland exited the tournament after gaining one point in fourth place.
Germany qualified from top of the group with seven points after drawing 1-1 today with Switzerland, which qualified from second place with five points.
The match began with clear control by Scotland, but the Hungarian team focused its focus in the first minutes on avoiding conceding early goals and resorting to defensive formation.
The first opportunity in the match came in the eighth minute and went to Hungary, which launched a counterattack and Bendjosz Pula shot a powerful, dangerous ball, but Scottish goalkeeper Angus John blocked it.
The Scotland national team continued to besiege its opponent in the middle of its field and penetrated more than once into the penalty area, taking advantage of the movements of Scott McTominay and John McGinn, but Hungary did not abandon defensive caution and did not allow any real threat to the goal for a long time.
As the first half passed, the Hungarian national team entered the atmosphere of the match more by controlling the ball and advancing to the attack in the hope of scoring. It actually made more than one goal attempt, but lacked sufficient accuracy in the final touches.
Hungary received a free kick from a dangerous point in front of the penalty area in the 40th minute, executed by captain Dominik Sboszlai, who sent the ball to Willy Orbán who directed it with a strong header, but the ball hit the crossbar and passed out of the net.
At the beginning of the second half, the confrontation seemed more balanced, as the Hungarian national team imposed its presence through possession and the two teams exchanged offensive attempts, but neither of them abandoned defensive caution.
Play was stopped in the 68th minute, as Hungarian Barnabas Varga fell injured as a result of a strong tackle during a fight over a high ball. Anxiety gripped the players and fans present, and after several minutes of stopping, the player was taken off the field to receive medical care.
The excitement in the match increased as both teams continued their attempts in hopes of snatching the winning goal. Suboslai excelled in dodging the defense inside the penalty area in the 75th minute and passed a cross, but the defense dropped the ball at the right moment.
The Hungarian national team showed strong determination in the final minutes, and Sboszlai shot a dangerous ball in the first minute of stoppage time, but the Scottish goalkeeper blocked it.
Hungary’s luck was greatly hindered in the second minute of stoppage time, as Kevin Choboth shot a dangerous ball, but it hit the post.
The match almost ended in a goalless draw, which would have eliminated Hungary from the tournament and given Scotland hope of qualifying among the four best third-placed teams.
But the Hungarian national team turned the tables in the tenth minute of stoppage time, snatching the winning goal through substitute Choboth, who received a cross and shot the ball hard into the net, giving Hungary the precious victory and eliminating Scotland, which had never advanced beyond the group stage in the European Championship or World Cup.
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