Euro 2020 Match 23: Round of 16 Guaranteed for Germany After 3-0 Win Against Hungary

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

Euro 2020 Match 23: Germany v Hungary

Round of 16 Guaranteed for Germany After 3-0 Win Against Hungary

June 22, 2020

Germany 3 Hungary 0

 

Germany will progress to the Round of 16 on the back of a historic three-goal win over Hungary, the latter needing a result to stay in the contest.

 

Germany played with all the possession early, leading to a lovely through ball to Leroy Sané, who brought about the save from Hungarian goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi. Sané then set up Toni Kroos for a shot, but once again, the goalkeeper was up to the task. Sané furthermore had a shot from long range, though it was too easy. İlkay Gündoğan, Player of the Match in the previous game, also brought about a Gulácsi parry. From the resulting corner, Marco Reus leapt above the rest and his header hit the crossbar.

 

Reus tried a long range shot in the 25th minute, only to fire wide of the mark. Still, the pressure kept up on Hungary seemed to chip away at their resolve.

 

That changed when Hungary won a free kick, thanks to a yellow card tackle by Niklas Süle. However, Balázs Dzsudzsák’s free kick flew way over and into the crowd.

 

Germany then countered and worked both wings, before the ball crossed into the box found Timo Werner alone, and he ruffled the back of the net with his header.

 

Werner then worked down the right wing and crossed to Reus, who passed back to Gündoğan as he was facing away from goal. However, the midfielder, who had just prior to this been deep at left back covering in defence, was unable to score Germany’s second.

 

Serge Gnabry hit the post with his attempt as he drove beyond the midfielder’s line of defence and shot, with Gulácsi’s slight touch ensuring the ball hit the woodwork and not cross the line.

 

Reus and Sané combined as the break neared, only for the latter to not position his body properly, and therefore his header.

 

Straight after halftime, Werner had a shot from a tight angle, but to no avail. The lead up play, however, suggested Germany would overrun the Hungarians as the match progressed.

However, Hungary produced their first real chance on the counterattack. The quick through balls soon had a running Dominik Szoboszlai with the ball, and his shot brought about a parry from Marc-André ter Stegen.

 

As the hour mark ticked over, right back Barnabás Bese crossed into Ádám Szalai, though the header did not find a way past the German goalkeeper.

 

However, Germany always looked dangerous when advancing, and the pressure became too great for the Hungarians, as Reus stepped up and slotted home a goal when he snuck in behind the back four.

 

Five minutes from time, Player of the Match Reus produced his brace as he waited patiently for the cutback pass and slipped the ball over the line with his left foot.

 

In the end, Germany won 3-0, and saw themselves automatically in the Round of 16.

 

	Group F	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Germany	2	2	0	0	6	+4
2	Montenegro	2	1	1	0	4	+1
3	Hungary	2	0	1	1	1	-3
4	Czech Republic	2	0	0	2	0	-2

 

Germany now face Montenegro, hoping to make it three wins from three. The Montenegrins, however, will look for a result to guarantee a top-two finish and a Round of 16 berth. The Czechs, facing Hungary in Hungary, must win by a large margin to have any chance of progressing. As the other groups conclude in the next few days, it will be clearer how much the Czechs must win by. Hungary will seek to gain their own three points and put pressure on Montenegro for second place.