Germany will aim to build on the opening-day win over Scotland when they face Hungary at the MHPArena on Wednesday.
Matchday 1 of UEFA Euro 2024 is over, and the second round of fixtures gets underway on Wednesday. The marquee fixture on the day will be Germany vs Hungary at the MHPArena, with the home team looking to continue the winning run and the latter aiming to get on the board.
Germany could not have hoped for a better start to the UEFA Euro 2024 campaign on home soil. Die Mannschaft cruised to a 5-1 win over Scotland on the opening night to occupy the top spot in Group A, with Scotland following closely behind. Last week’s victory extended the unbeaten start to 2024 for Julian Nagelsmann and his charges.
As for Hungary, they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Switzerland last week to finish Matchday 1 in the third spot in Group A. That result meant the Magyars have lost two of their three most recent games, ending their unbeaten run that stretched throughout 2023.
Germany suffered a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in the most recent clash featuring the teams, with Adam Szalai scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Germany
Julian Nagelsmann had a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture at UEFA Euro 2024. However, Germany’s head coach will not be bereft of any players against Hungary on Wednesday.
Nagelsmann has been sweating over the future of Thomas Muller, who picked up a knock against Scotland last week. However, the veteran attacker is fit and available, meaning Julian Nageslmann has a full-strength squad.
Manuel Neuer is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Germany lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Barcelona. The backline should feature Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger, Jonathan Tah, and Maximilian Mittelstadt.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Robert Andrich and Toni Kroos. While the latter will pull the strings from deeper on the pitch, the former will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Kai Havertz will lead the line for Germany, with Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and captain Ilkay Gundogan completing the numbers in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Kroos; Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz; Havertz
Hungary
Unlike his counterpart in the German dugout, Marco Rossi does not have any new issues to deal with ahed of the trip to the MHPArena. Hungary’s head coach will have a fully-fit squad against Germany this midweek.
Hungary will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Germany, with Peter Gulacsi taking his usual spot between the sticks. The central defensive unit should feature Adam Lang, Attila Szalai, and WIlli Orban. Attila Fiola and Milos Kerkez will be the two wing-backs, with the duo providing width in the final third.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Andras Schafer and Adam Nagy. The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Barnabas Varga will spearhead the Hungarian attack on Wednesday, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai completing the numbers in the attack.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Lang, Szalai, Orban; Fiola, Adam Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; Varga
Key Stats
- Wednesday’s match will be the fourth encounter between Germany and Hungary at a major tournament. The three previous meetings have produced 20 goals, an average of 6.7 per game. Hungary opened the scoring in each match.
- Germany have won only one of their past six matches played on home soil against Hungary. They can win both of their opening two matches at a Euros for a fifth time, after 1972, 1980, 1996 and 2012.
- Hungary have failed to win in their last seven games at the Euros since beating Austria 2-0 in the 2016 group stage.
- Kai Havertz has been directly involved in 13 goals (nine goals, four assists) in his last 18 appearances (14 starts) for Germany in all competitions.
- Barnabas Varga has found the back of the net seven times in just nine starts for Hungary in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Kai Havertz
As iterated earlier, Havertz has been exceptional for his club and country in the last few months. After sceptics bombarded him with moments of doubt, the former Chelsea attacker has stepped up considerably in recent weeks.
Havertz has nine goals and four assists in his last 18 appearances for Germany. That number improves if we consider his output for Arsenal in the final weeks of the 2023/24 season. So, the 25-year-old will hold the key for Germany in the final third vs Hungary on Wednesday.
Prediction
Germany 3-1 Hungary
Germany’s recent outings against Hungary have, more often than not, not produced the desired results. The Magyars also clinched a victory in the last meeting, beating Die Mannschaft 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. So, Marco Rossi will take heart from that result and use it to drive the belief in his squad.
The visitors should give their hosts a run for their money. However, the Julian Nagelsmann influence will prove telling, with Germany clinching a 3-1 win vs Hungary on Wednesday. Barnabas Varga will continue his decent form and score a consolation