The penultimate Matchday 1 fixture ended in what was arguably an upset as Hungary claimed a historic 2-0 win over Austria.
The balance of play was clearly on the Austrian’s side right from kick-off and it was almost a dream start when David Alaba unleashed a powerful left-footed drive from midfield, only to be denied by the post. They maintained the momentum and Alaba can only shoot straight to Hungary keeper Gabor Kiraly after being sent through by Marko Arnautovic. The lack of quality in Hungary is apparent as they can only rely on Laszlo Kleinheisler, who had a few decent long-range efforts.
The 2nd 45 minutes began in a similar manner as both teams wasted possession in the final third with poor passes. The game was brought to life in the 62nd minute when Hungary forward Adam Szalai broke the deadlock with an unlikely goal. He played a smart one-two with Kleinhesler, before bursting into the box and slides the ball past Robert Almer with an outstretched foot. The Austrians were fired up by the goal and they quickly chased for an equalizer. However, Marcel Koller’s men received a setback when Aleksandar Dragovic was sent off with a 2nd bookable offense 3 minutes later. The one man advantage proved to be useful when the Hungarians extended their lead in the 87th minute, courtesy of a coolly taken chip by Zoltan Stieber. The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough as Hungary celebrates a hard earned victory.
Here are the top 3 players in the game:
David Alaba
The Austrian’s left-back-cum-defensive midfielder showcased his world class status with his versatile style of play. He was unlucky to not score a goal within the first minute and he constantly tried to make things happen by sending in long balls and decent crosses into the danger areas. Alaba also performed his defensive roles well by denying the Hungarians chance to play the ball with their limited possession, cementing his status as a top class box-to-box player.
Laszlo Kleinheisler
The left-footed midfielder was clearly the Hungarian’s best player in the game. He took a few decent shots from outside the box and his playmaking abilities were displayed when he combined with Szalai to produce the opening goal, sending the Hungary supporters into a state of euphoria.
Gabor Kiraly
The veteran Hungarian shot-stopper has etched his place in the competition’s history even before the game has started. He broke Germany’s Lothar Matthaus’ record in being the oldest player to feature in the championship and he was clearly unfazed by the occasion. Kiraly produced some decent saves when it mattered, notably the half-volley effort from Zlatko Junuzovic, earning the Hungarians a well-deserved clean sheet.
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