The Hungarian national football team defeated Scotland 1–0 on Sunday in Stuttgart during the final group match of the European Championship in Germany, with a goal from Kevin Csoboth in the 101st minute. This victory placed Hungary third in their group, preserving their chance to advance to the round of 16.
In a hard-fought match, Hungary consistently appeared closer to taking the lead, with the opponent being saved by the goalpost once in each half. In the last moments of the ten-minute extra time, following a quick counter-attack, substitute Csoboth scored the decisive goal from a pass by Roland Sallai, keeping Hungary’s hopes alive.
At the end of the group stage, the top four third-placed teams out of six advance. Currently, Hungary stands with three points and a minus three goal difference. Before the match even began, it was clear that the Hungary–Scotland game would have one of the best atmospheres, as the fans were very friendly, drinking and singing together. Half an hour before kick-off, almost everyone had taken their seats, and during the pre-match buildup, the crowd was jumping and singing in unison to Gala’s 1990s hit ’Freed from Desire’. The atmosphere peaked for Hungarian fans when the famous song ’Éjjel soha nem érhet véget’ by Soho Party played.
Despite both teams needing a win to keep their advancement hopes alive, the game started cautiously with neither side taking risks. The Scots had slightly more possession, but Hungary’s first quick counter-attack resulted in Bolla’s long-range effort being parried by the Scottish goalkeeper. The match mostly consisted of midfield play with no team managing to break through the other’s defence, resulting in a lack of chances and shots. Both teams lacked creativity in attack. The game’s enjoyment decreased further due to frequent fouls, which led to a fragmented play, with Styles, Orbán, and Schäfer receiving yellow cards. The best chance came in the 41st minute when Szoboszlai took a free kick from a dangerous position, and Orbán’s header hit the crossbar, although it would have been disallowed for offside. Overall, despite the Scots having more possession, they did not manage a single attempt at goal.
The second half continued with cautious play. The opposition struggled to reach the Hungarian goal, but Rossi’s team also had few attempts, with Sallai’s shot being easily saved by the Scottish goalkeeper. The opponent’s first attempt came after 53 minutes, but Adams’ shot went well over the bar. Sallai had a more powerful shot blocked by Hendry on his second attempt. Tense moments followed when Szoboszlai’s cross was cleared by the Scottish goalkeeper, who collided with everyone in his path,
leaving Barnabás Varga on the ground in pain.
Assistance was slow to arrive, with Hungarian players urging the medical staff and those holding the covering screen to hurry. Eventually, Szoboszlai and his teammates had to help move the stretcher onto the field.
As the Scottish goalkeeper attempted to free his goal from a high ball with his right hand, his left elbow struck Varga’s face. Both of them stayed down after the collision, however, the goalkeeper recovered quickly. Unforutnately, Varga stayed on the ground and was not moving. The Hungarian medical team arrived on scene at high speed as they put up covers so the fans would not see the treatment. This was a gruelling scene, as they would not cover the player if everything was fine. After an understandably agitated Szoboszlai ran to his injured teammate with the stretcher, Varga was pushed off the pitch with a neck-brace on said stretcher. Later, it was announced that Varga had multiple broken cheek bones and a concussion. Currently it is known that he had surgery shortly after the game, but there are no further details on his condition at the time of the writing of this article. What we know for sure is that even if the Hungarian team advances, Varga will not be able to participate in the matches. The team at Hungarian Conservative wishes Barnabás Varga a speedy recovery.
After a long pause for treatment, the game resumed with slightly more pace. As the final quarter approached, the game opened up as a draw was not favourable for either team, but no significant goal-scoring chances emerged. Szoboszlai struggled physically and could not make his usual runs even when space opened up, making Hungarian attacks less threatening. The end of regular time saw Schäfer’s run causing excitement, with Gunn making a save. During the ten-minute added time, Hungary began to press, with Szoboszlai narrowly missing the left bottom corner and Csoboth hitting the right post after a run down the right flank. The game became frenetic, with both teams desperately seeking the winning goal. Gulácsi made a crucial save in this period. Just as it seemed the match would end without a goal, Sallai’s brilliant run and perfect pass set up Csoboth, who scored to secure Hungary’s third-place finish in the group.
After the goal, the team and their supporters celebrated for several minutes, continuing after the final whistle. Csoboth celebrated his crucial game winning goal by holding up the injured Varga’s jersey. Later during the celebration of the win, Szoboszlai even wore the jersey, pointing at the player’s name.
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