Germany secured a commanding 2-0 victory over Hungary in Group A on Wednesday, courtesy of goals from Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gündoğan. This win not only propelled the host nation to the top of their group but also earned them the distinction of being the first team to advance to the knockout stage at Euro 2024.
Having triumphed in both of their matches so far, Germany's progression is assured, with a guaranteed placement among the top four third-placed teams. Their placement in the group's top two hinges on Scotland's performance against Switzerland later in the day.
A victory for Switzerland would not only cement Germany's spot in the top two but also dash Hungary's hopes of finishing among the group's top contenders.
Musiala, playing in his hometown, gave the Germans the lead in the 22nd minute after some horrendous Hungarian defending led to the ball being poked into his path by Gündoğan, and the 21-year-old needed no second invitation, hammering the ball in via a defender.
Roland Sallai had a goal ruled out in first-half stoppage time for Hungary, and they wasted a number of other decent chances before Gündoğan, in a man-of-the-match performance, scored in the 67th minute with a simple finish after a clinical buildup.
While few will have bet against the home side, it was, in fact, Germany's first competitive win over Hungary since the 1954 World Cup final. That was the first of Germany's four world titles, and fans are now dreaming of witnessing a fourth European Championship triumph too, and on home soil.
"You can feel when you see the euphoria of the people. The atmosphere is good and happy it is taking place here," goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
"Germany is always in the favorites' circle, but we need to do our homework. We play the toughest group team next."
Febrile atmosphere
Watched by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the match began in a febrile atmosphere, with thousands of fans having spent the day partying around Stuttgart.
Hungary manager Marco Rossi said on the eve of the match that his side could not afford to make any mistakes. But that's exactly what they did after 22 minutes.
Defender Willi Orban went to shoulder-barge Gündoğan in his own area but came off the worse for it and fell over. The German captain was then able to pull the ball back to Musiala, who smashed it in off defender Attila Fiola, while some Hungary players had stopped and were appealing for a foul.
VAR confirmed the goal after a quick check.
Hungary responded well, with Neuer having to dive across to the top corner to parry away a Dominik Szoboszlai free kick shortly after.
They then thought they had equalized on the stroke of halftime when Sallai headed in from a rebound, but it was ruled out for offside. And they had another chance to level after halftime when Barnabas Varga headed over the bar.
But the Germans kept applying pressure, with Musiala in particular continuing to be a menace for the Hungary defense. He was also involved in the buildup when Gündoğan doubled their lead in the 67th by sweeping in a low cross from Maximilian Mittelstadt.
"We are getting better, but as we improve, we have to overcome some problems; that is what this game showed today, especially in the first half. But that's the tournament – you have to survive such situations. We survived and then hit back," Gündoğan, 33, said.
Germany was able to keep possession and run the clock down as they assured their place in the next round ahead of a final group game against Switzerland on Sunday.
Hungary could still progress if they beat Scotland and other results go in their favor.