Jonas Hofmann stood out in another lacklustre display by Germany, who played out a 1-1 draw with Hungary at the Puskas Arena on Saturday.
The game got off to a frantic start, with both sides scoring once in the opening ten minutes. Hungary began the game brilliantly, as Attila Fiola went through on the right flank before crossing the ball in for Roland Sallai, whose header was parried away by Manuel Neuer. But the Germany captain could not have done anything to deny Zsolt Nagy’s effort from the rebound.
Germany hit back almost immediately, with Nico Schlotterbeck releasing Jonas Hofmann, who rounded Peter Gulacsi with his first touch before slotting the ball into the empty net. Germany dominated the proceedings for much of the remainder of the game, but Hungary tested the visitors on the break, forcing a couple of big saves out of Neuer.
However, Germany had the best chance to grab all three points, only for Hofmann to inexplicably square the ball instead of aiming for the goal. The result is Germany’s third successive draw in the UEFA Nations League, meaning they remain third in the Group A3 standings, a point behind Hungary. The Hard Tackle runs the rule over Hansi Flick’s men.
Manuel Neuer: 7/10
Neuer reacted well to parry away Roland Sallai’s header but could not have done anything to deny Zsolt Nagy. However, Germany’s captain was at hand to make a string of other saves to earn his side a point. Neuer continues to perform at peak levels despite reaching the final phase of his career.
Manuel Neuer is even better than Spiderman pic.twitter.com/xwrJlnjd3j
— Shivansh (@shivanshfcbm) June 11, 2022
Thilo Kehrer: 6/10
Kehrer was one of two defenders who failed to react to Zsolt Nagy’s threat, allowing Hungary’s left wing-back to find the back of the net with a thumping effort. Germany’s dominance meant he took the opportunity to move into the opposition half regularly, but he also made an error that could have cost his side dearly.
Niklas Sule: 6/10
Zsolt Nagy caught Sule napping when he scored the opener. But the new Borussia Dortmund won seven duels, although his passing was sloppy at times. All in all, it was an average performance from a player who is not doing himself any favours ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Nico Schlotterbeck: 7/10
Schlotterbeck started the game slowly as he failed to track Roland Sallai for the initial header before Zsolt Nagy scored the opener. But he made amends by releasing Jonas Hofmann for the equaliser. The 22-year-old read the game well after that, cutting out the threat posed by Hungary smartly before playing the ball forward efficiently.
Jonas Hofmann: 8/10
Hofmann scored for the second successive game, and his first touch to go clean through on goal was brilliant. The 29-year-old should have sealed the game in the second half instead of unnecessarily being unselfish by squaring the ball despite being in a promising position. Nonetheless, it was a top-class performance by Hofmann.
?? Jonas Hofmann scores his second goal in two games for Germany ⚽️⚽️#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/ZMpRsrOxrN
— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024) June 11, 2022
Joshua Kimmich: 7/10
Kimmich was typically solid in the middle of the park, forging an indomitable partnership with Leon Goretzka. The 27-year-old completed 93 per cent of his attempted passes while reading the game brilliantly whenever Hungary looked to charge forward.
Leon Goretzka: 7/10
Goretzka looked comfortable throughout his stint on the pitch, helping Germany dominate the proceedings effortlessly. The Bayern Munich midfielder even created a decent opening while winning all but one duel and completing four tackles on the night.
David Raum: 7/10
Raum had a mixed bag of a game, as he allowed Attila Fiola to cross the ball into Germany’s box in the build-up to the opener. But the 24-year-old was a dangerous outlet on the left flank and sent in a couple of deliveries that looked dangerous. However, he should have done better with his only shot in the game instead of finding the side-netting.
Kai Havertz: 6/10
Havertz barely misplaced a pass on Saturday, but the 23-year-old never threatened Gulacsi in the Hungary goal. The Chelsea forward linked up well with those around him but needed to do more to give Germany the chance to grab all three points.
Jamal Musiala: 6/10
Musiala was not quite at his best, even though he showed the desire the make things. He created one chance for Raum, who missed the target with his effort. At other times, the youngster was not on the same wavelength as Havertz and Timo Werner, even though he completed, by far, the most take-ons in the match.
Jamal Musiala completed six take-ons in the first half against Hungary, just one fewer than everyone else on the pitch combined.
Running rings around his opponents. ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/QW0BDvFGFa
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 11, 2022
Timo Werner: 6/10
Werner endured a frustrating game, as he was on the fringes of the action despite Germany’s dominance for the most part. The 26-year-old managed just one shot in the game, which was off target.
SUBSTITUTES
Ilkay Gundogan: 6/10
Gundogan ensured Germany’s dominance in the proceedings in the game’s final quarter, misplacing just one pass.
Julian Brandt: N/A
Brandt could not create a lasting impact in his late cameo.
Thomas Muller: N/A
Muller did not see much of the ball despite being on the pitch for 12 minutes.
Lukas Nmecha: N/A
A late introduction, Nmecha barely got a touch in the game’s dying embers.
Karim Adeyemi: N/A
A late introduction, Adeyemi did not have enough time to make an impact, with his late effort flying wide.
