The Swiss national team defeated Hungary 3-1 in the first match of Saturday at EURO 2024, after a spectacular game.
The goals were scored by Duah, Aebischer, and Embolo for the Swiss, while Varga scored for the neighboring nation to the west of Romania, bringing the score to 1-2.
Switzerland had a perfect first half in Cologne, where this second match of the first round of Group A at EURO 2024 was played. There have been 46 direct matches between these two national teams in the past, and it seemed like it would be a balanced match between the 2nd place in Romania's group in the qualifiers and a team that remained unbeaten in the same phase before the European Championship.
Duah, the 20-year-old player, only in his second international appearance, surprised everyone with his starting position and scored a splendid goal after a brilliant pass from Aebischer in the 12th minute. The initial goal was disallowed by the linesman for offside but then reinstated by VAR. The 2-0 goal came thanks to a refined execution from the edge of the box by the same midfielder from Bologna.
Murat Yakin's team revved up after the break, and this was evident in the players' attitudes. Things reminded of the match with Romania in the qualifiers when, from 2-0 down, Iordănescu's players equalized in the end through Mihăilă's brace.
Hungary scored through Varga in the 66th minute with a header taken with determination after previously missing astonishingly with another header.
Although the Hungarians dominated for a good period and pressed all the time for an equalizer, the decisive break on the scoreboard came in the 93rd minute through Embolo, a familiar face of ours, scoring with a superb lob, after previously stumbling over a defender in the grass.
Switzerland wins convincingly with 3-1 and secures the 2nd spot in Group A, trailing Germany by two goals after this first round.
Starting lineups:
Hungary: Gulácsi - Lang, W. Orban, Szalai - Fiola, A. Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez - Sallai, Szoboszlai (capt.) - Varga. Substitutes: Dibusz, Szappanos - Balogh, Nego, M. Adam, Bolla, Kleinheisler, Gazdag, Styles, Z. Nagy, Botka, Csoboth, Dárdai, Horváth, Kata.
Coach: Marco Rossi.
Switzerland: Sommer - Schar, Akanji, R. Rodriguez - Widmer, Xhaka (capt.), Freuler, Ndoye - Vargas, Aebischer - Duah. Substitutes: Mvogo, Kobel - Stergiou, Elvedi, Embolo, Okafor, Steffen, Zesiger, Sierro, Shaqiri, Jashari, Amdouni, Rieder.
Coach: Murat Yakin.
Referee: Slavko Vinčići (Slovenia).