Scotland crashed out of Euro 2024 in the most heart-wrenching fashion as Kevin Csoboth’s 100th-minute winner earned Hungary a stunning late victory. The Scots, who could still have held faint hopes of the last 16 with a draw, were stung on the counter-attack to spark bedlam in the Stuttgart Arena.
It means Steve Clarke’s side, who did not register a shot on target, finish on one point and once again fail to make it out of a group at a major tournament. Hungary, who lost Barnabas Varga to a sickening injury, finish Group A in third. And still have a chance of going through as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Scotland: Deja vu descends amid the chaos
Despite the nerve-wracking tension, Scotland’s fans would have started to believe late in this game. In the closing moments and with a barrage of substitutes, opportunities opened up where before it had all been laboured.
Scotland’s clearest chance fell to defender Grant Hanley moments before that Hungarian sucker punch. But his shot was too close to Peter Gulacsi and would not have counted regardless.
There were also strong shouts for a Stuart Armstrong penalty, instead it all led to cries of astonishment as no VAR check was forthcoming.
So much of the talk from the first two games was of the vulnerability in Scotland’s defence, particularly on the right side.
Yet, the lack of any spark in front of goal has been an ominous shadow that has followed Clarke’s team through this tournament, and it enveloped them again here.
In a game where a victory would probably have delivered legend, all Scotland could deliver was a paltry expected goals rating of 0.13.
A glut of injuries both before coming to Germany and in camp have not helped.
But after captain Andy Robertson said there wasn’t to be any regrets after failing to do themselves justice in the last Euros, the feeling of deja vu will be palpable.
Hungary have hope after troubled times
The Hungarian players, just moments after the final whiste, gathered in front of a euphoric sea of red behind the goal.
The shirt of Varga was held aloft, as a nation united in celebration, when only minutes before they had done so in fear and hope after the Ferencvaros forward collided with Angus Gunn.
As painful as the blow will be for the Scotland fans, the Hungarians always looked the more likely to score. Especially when Csoboth struck a post in injury time before finding the winner.
Somehow, Scotland managed to conspire to throw away a potentially precious point while about to take a corner with just seconds left.
Once again their set-piece came to nothing. And they were caught on a sweeping break down a barren Scottish left side to puncture their opponents with a clinical and cold blow.
A 14-game winning streak swept Marco Rossi’s team through qualifying. And while they surrendered swathes of possession to their impotent opponents here, they have somehow fashioned hope of progression after two opening defeats.
What they said
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke: “The goal comes as a consequence of us trying to win the game. The goal is almost irrelevant.
“The moment for me was the penalty. It was 100% a penalty. Someone has to explain to me why it wasn’t a penalty.
“I don’t understand how VAR can look at that and say it’s not a penalty.”
Hungary head coach Marco Rossi: “We must wait for the other results. We did what was possible with a bit of luck in the final moments.
“The luck in football, like in life, is important. At the end the result is fair. We cannot say we didn’t deserve to win.”
Match stats
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This was Scotland’s 12th tournament and in 50% of those they have failed to win a match. That was at the 1954, 1958, 1986 and 1998 World Cups and Euro 2020 and 2024.
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Hungary’s goal was the latest ever scored in a European Championship match. Timed at 99 minutes and 32 seconds.
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Scotland had just 17 shots at Euro 2024 in total – since the group stage was introduced in 1980. That is the joint fewest by any nation in a group stage, along with Northern Ireland at Euro 2016.
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Hungary ended a run of eight Euros matches without success, registering their first victory since a 2-0 win over Austria at Euro 2016. This was also their first clean sheet since that win.
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There have only been two instances at these finals of a team failing to have a shot in the first half of a match. And both have been Scotland – against Germany and Hungary.
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Scotland completed 249 passes in the first half. The most they have had in the first half of a tournament match.
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Grant Hanley completed 69 passes, the most by a Scotland player in a finals game. Hanley also had more touches in the opposition box than any other Scottish player against Hungary (4).
- John McGinn won five fouls, the most by a Scotland player since Christian Dailly at the 1998 World Cup v Norway (6).
Source: bbc.com
