MY ACCOUNT
Adam Szalai’s sublime finish kept Hungary on course for the Nations League Finals as they beat Germany 1-0 in Leipzig.
Captain Szalai struck almost midway through the first half on Friday to give his side an impressive victory that keeps them two points clear at the top of Group A3.
Marco Rossi’s side will qualify for next year’s Finals if they avoid defeat at home to Italy on Monday, with the European champions having beaten England 1-0 at San Siro.
It was another memorable evening for Hungary at the Red Bull Arena, while Hansi Flick will be left to rue a night to forget with the World Cup looming.
From the first whistle, Hungary showed a proactive intent, tackling their hosts head-on with great intensity, and their approach was rewarded when Germany were caught napping from a corner 17 minutes in.
Few appeared to expect Szalai’s to attack the near the edge of the six-yard box, and the forward’s delightful flick to convert Dominik Szoboszlai’s delivery sailed beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s grasp and into the far corner of the net for a worthy lead.
Germany thought they had equalised through Thomas Muller’s strike shortly after the restart, but the goal was ruled out as Jonas Hoffman was offside.
That was as close as Flick’s side came to salvaging a point as Hungary held on to keep their fate in their own hands heading into a decisive final group game.
