Germany 2-2 Hungary: 5 Talking Points as Leon Goretzka saves Die Mannschaft from elimination | UEFA Euro 2020
Germany drew 2-2 against Hungary in a topsy-turvy tie to set-up a date with England in the Round of 16 of Euro 2020.
Adam Szalai scored early in the game to open the scoring for Hungary. The captain scored an impressive header as his side took the lead. Kai Havertz brought some respite for the Germans as he equalized in the 66th minute of the game following a blunder by Peter Gulacsi in goal.
It is said that a team is most vulnerable just after scoring and that is exactly what happened with Germany. Hungary scored seconds after Havertz's equaliser through Andras Schafer to stun the Allianz Arena. The visitors combined well and found the back of the net following a brilliant counter.
Hungary looked to be on course to cause a major upset and write their own Euro 2020 fairytale. But Leon Goretzka smashed one into the back of the net in the 84th minute to settle the scores. With that goal, Germany sealed second position in Group F and advanced to the latter stages of the tournament.
On that note, let's take a look at the talking points from the game:
#1. Leon Goretzka was Germany's star of the night
Leon Goretzka stole the headlines with his equalizer against Hungary to seal a berth in the last sixteen of Euro 2020. The Bayern Munich star came off the bench in the 58th minute of the game to score the all-important goal for his side.
The 26-year-old did exactly what he was brought on for. Goretzka, along with Jamal Musiala, completely turned the tie on its head. The duo were key to unlocking Hungary's defense and eventually helped Germany qualify for the Euro 2020 knockouts. Credit must also go to Germany coach Joachim Low for bringing both players on at the right time.
#2. Heartbreak for Hungary
The Hungarians fought against Germany with everything they had. Despite being the underdogs, they posed several challenges to the heavyweights of Group F at Euro 2020. Hungary showed great resilience against Portugal and kept them at bay until the 84th minute of the game before succumbing to Ronaldo and co.
After scoring first, they also went on to salvage a point against France. The draw against the world champions meant the Hungarians still had a chance to progress to the Euro 2020 knockouts on Matchday 3. Few would have expected them to be in such a position after the matches against Portugal and France.
While all the odds were stacked against them yet again, they managed to put up a brave fight against Germany. Hungary will be gutted to exit Euro 2020 after coming so close, but they have earned plenty of respect throughout their stint in the tournament.