Sub Kevin Csoboth’s late strike settled a tense contest at Stuttgart Arena and lifted Hungary into third-place contention.
Kevin Csoboth feels the magnitude of the occasion at full-time
Clear-cut chances were at a premium until Kevin Csoboth came off the bench to clinch Hungary three points as Group A concluded. Hungary must now wait to discover whether they qualify for the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams, as Scotland bow out of EURO 2024.
Key moments
8′: Gunn denies Bolla
41′: Orbán header clips crossbar
45+1′: Szoboszlai fires over
88′: Schäfer shot blocked
90+1′: Gunn stops Szoboszlai blast
90+2′: Csoboth strikes post
90+10‘: Csoboth nets winner
Match in brief: Hungary leave it late
John McGinn keeps his eyes on the ball
In what was a must-win game for both Scotland and Hungary, it took until the very last minute of added time for Kevin Csoboth to score and give Hungary a chance of qualifying for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Scotland dominated possession early on, but Hungary looked more dangerous in front of the opposing goal, though rarely testing Scotland’s keeper Angus Gunn outright. They got their best look-in just before half-time when Willi Orbán’s header glanced off the crossbar after a free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.
Hungary remained on the front foot entering the second half, though Scotland’s sense of urgency also soared noticeably with Ché Adams curling their first real effort over the bar on 53 minutes. The pace overall increased with quick transitions and chances at both ends. In the 62nd minute, play was interrupted due to a collision between Hungary forward Barnabás Varga and Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
Dominik Szoboszlai fired over in the first half
The period of added time proved a frantic, topsy-turvy affair. Csoboth had Hungary’s best chance thus far with a curling effort against the post. In reply, Scotland caused plenty of problems for the Hungarian defence, only for Csoboth to then convert a rapid counter-attack in the tenth minute of stoppage time. It was the latest goal in EURO history.
With just one point, Scotland duly bowed out of EURO 2024 as the fourth-placed team in Group A. Hungary now wait to learn if their EURO journey continues.
Vivo Player of the Match: Roland Sallai (Hungary)
Roland Sallai with his award
In a difficult game, Sallai was the driving force for Hungary, creating chances with shots on goal, runs in behind and line-breaking ball carries. In the game-changing moment, he managed to stay composed and provide the assist for the winning goal.
Alex O’Henley, Scotland reporter
Football can be a cruel sport, especially if you are Scottish, and once more they suffered heartache here. The Scots had chance after chance near the end but they couldn’t find a way past Péter Gulácsi and then Hungary countered to break Scottish hearts. The wait to reach a major tournament knockout stage goes on for Scotland.
Andy Clark, Hungary reporter
Tonight was always going to be a tight affair with little space afforded to attackers. With so much at stake for both sides, chances were likely to be at a premium. Hungary slowly worked their way into the game and just when they needed it most, Csoboth popped up with the goal which secures third place for Marco Rossi’s men.
Reaction
Bendegúz Bolla vies with Andrew Robertson
Key stats
- This was the first competitive meeting between Scotland and Hungary.
- Kevin Csoboth is only the second Hungary player to score a EURO goal as a substitute after Zoltán Stieber against Austria at EURO 2016.
- Scotland have won only two of their 12 EURO matches (D3 L7).
- This is the first time Hungary have won a EURO match since the opening game of EURO 2016. (W1 L4 D4).
- None of Hungary’s last 14 EURO matches have finished without a goal being scored.
- Ádám Nagy is Hungary’s leading EURO appearance-maker with nine appearances.
Line-ups
Scotland: Gunn; Ralston (McLean 83), Hendry, Hanley, McKenna, Robertson (Morgan 89); McGinn (Armstrong 76), Gilmour (Christie 83), McGregor, McTominay; Adams (Shankland 76)
Hungary: Gulácsi; Botka, Orbán, Dárdai (Szalai 74); Bolla (Csoboth 86), Styles (Nagy 61), Schäfer, Kerkez (Nagy 86); Sallai, B. Varga (Ádám 74), Szoboszlai