Group A rivals Scotland and Hungary clash in Stuttgart on Sunday evening, both seeking a victory to keep their Euro 2024 knockout phase hopes alive.
Scotland earned their first point with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, while Hungary remained pointless and was on the brink of group-stage elimination.
Both sides have never met in a competitive game so far. Scotland has won three of its nine matches against Hungary (losing four), including a 1-0 win in Budapest in March 2018 (its most recent match).
To salvage their pride, Scotland kept their European Championship hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Wednesday night. Following a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Germany in their opener, Steve Clarke's side took the lead in the 13th minute when Scott McTominay's deflected shot stunned the Swiss goalkeeper.
However, Xherdan Shaqiri capitalized on an Anthony Ralston error to level the score with an exceptional strike - thus scoring in the sixth consecutive major international tournament.
Despite defender Grant Hanley hitting the post and some nervy moments, Scotland managed to secure a point. With a victory over Hungary tonight, Scotland will keep their chances of advancing to the round of 16 alive.
Clarke's primary goal for the Euros has been to guide Scotland to the knockout rounds for the first time. Finishing third in Group A could be sufficient to achieve this milestone.
Scotland could only secure second place if they beat the Magyars, and Switzerland suffered a heavy defeat against Germany. Therefore, their immediate focus will be on securing four points from three games and hoping for favorable results elsewhere.
Historically, this is a tough challenge for Scotland, having won just two of their 11 European Championship matches to date.
Scotland's starting XI against Switzerland boasted a combined total of 470 caps - their most ever for a men's international match - and Steve Clarke is set to field a similarly experienced side in Sunday's showdown against Hungary.
However, the Scottish manager will have to deal without key defenders Kieran Tierney, who sustained a hamstring injury against Switzerland, and Ryan Porteous, who is serving a two-match suspension following his straight red card during Scotland's Euro 2024 opener with Germany.
With pre-tournament injuries already sidelining the likes of Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey, Scott McKenna is expected to replace Tierney in Scotland's back three. The Nottingham Forest center-back joins Scott McTominay, Anthony Ralston, and John McGinn as players one booking away from missing a potential last-16 tie.
McTominay has been pivotal for Scotland once again, taking four of their 13 shots at Euro 2024 and contributing nearly a third of their touches in the opposition area. Since the start of 2023, the Manchester United midfielder has scored eight goals in 10 competitive internationals-just one less than the rest of the Scottish team combined.
Ryan Christie of Bournemouth and Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland are both pushing for promotion from the bench but may again be limited to substitute roles.
The Magyars are winless in their last eight Euro matches, and another defeat would tie them to the all-time record for games without a victory. Having won just one of their last 17 matches at major tournaments against European nations, Hungary has suffered consecutive defeats against Switzerland and Germany in Group A.
Marco Rossi's team had high hopes coming into the tournament, having lost just once in their previous 16 matches across all competitions. Now, they face an early exit after a 3-1 loss to Switzerland and a 2-0 defeat to Germany. Hungary cannot finish in the top two and must beat Scotland to reach the last 16. Even then, more than three points might be needed to advance as one of the best third-placed teams, making their outlook bleak.
Given their slim chances of progressing, Marco Rossi will likely rotate his Hungarian squad. Hungary is expected to stick with their familiar 3-4-2-1 formation, but players like Loic Nego, fit-again Callum Styles, and South Korea-based striker Martin Adam could be called upon.
Captain Dominik Szoboszlai, despite missing full training earlier this week, should continue to drive from an advanced midfield role. Either Martin Adam or Barnabas Varga, who scored Hungary's only goal so far, should lead the line.
Willi Orban is considered a guaranteed starter, and the experienced RB Leipzig defender leads Hungary in possession won (12), successful passes (82), and tackles made (six) at this tournament.
Unlike their previous nine meetings, all of which were international friendlies, Sunday night's clash has significantly higher stakes.
Both teams will likely adopt an aggressive approach, as pride and a chance to advance to the last 16 are on the line in Stuttgart.
Hungary's hopes are slim, but they have enough firepower to challenge Scotland's ambitions by denying them a victory.
On the other hand, Scotland learned an important lesson in the first match against Germany, so we expect to see more of the Scottish approach that worked well against Switzerland.
