Nations League
Hungary’s dream of reaching the Final Four of the UEFA Nations League was dashed against Italy on Monday. The “Squadra Azzurra” snagged the group win in Budapest in a showdown in group A3 with a 2:0 (1:0) and thus made it into the final tournament next year. In a group with Italy, Germany and England, the Hungarians were only a point missing, to the great surprise.
Giacomo Raspadori before the break (27th minute) and Federico Dimarco shortly after the break (52nd) ensured that the Italians secured the ticket for the Final Four as the third team after the Netherlands and Croatia. For the European champions, who are visiting Austria on November 20 for testing purposes, promotion to the top four in the Nations League is a small consolation for missing the World Cup finals in Qatar. Portugal and Spain will play the last place in the final in a direct duel on Tuesday.
The Hungarians, who had previously outclassed England 4-0 and beat Germany 1-0 in Leipzig last Friday and for whom a draw would have been enough to win the group, finished second in Group A3, right behind the European champions. The surprise team, which left Germany and England behind, slipped into the first pot in the draw for the European Championship qualification on October 9th in Frankfurt and is therefore a possible opponent of Austria.
In the direct duel for group victory, the two teams in Budapest exchanged blows from the start. Raspadori scored for the Italians, better before the break, after a string of errors in the Hungarian back line. Dimarco made the preliminary decision shortly after the restart after Bryan Cristante’s Stangl pass. The Hungarians then tried to turn the game around again, but Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several brilliant saves.
