Scotland faced Hungary in their final match of Group A. The game took a dramatic turn when medics ran onto the pitch to support Hungary striker Barnabas Varga, causing a temporary stoppage in play. The match was being broadcasted on BBC One, and viewers had the option to stream it live on BBC iPlayer.
The Scotland team lineup consisted of Gunn, Hendry, Hanley, McKenna, Ralston, Gilmour, McGregor, Robertson, McTominay, McGinn, and Adams. On the other hand, Hungary fielded Gulacsi, Dardai, Orban, Botka, Bolla, Schafer, Styles, Kerkez, Sallai, Varga, and Szoboszlai.
In the 77th minute, Scotland won their first corner of the night, giving them a chance to break the deadlock. With the game still goalless, Scotland manager Steve Clarke made a double substitution in the 76th minute. John McGinn left the field to be replaced by Stuart Armstrong, while Lawrence Shankland came on for Che Adams.
Hungary also made a double substitution in the 74th minute. Martin Adam replaced the injured Varga, and Attila Szalai came on for Marton Dudai. The Hungarian fans showed their respect for Varga as he was stretchered off the pitch. A VAR check was also conducted during this time for a potential penalty.
The incident involving Varga caused concern among both sets of players. Hungary players formed a shield around their injured striker while demanding a stretcher from the medical staff. The scene was described as awful in Stuttgart.
Prior to this incident, Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn collided with his teammate Anthony Ralston while attempting to defend a free-kick into the box. Unfortunately, Varga also fell to the ground and appeared to be unconscious.
In the 66th minute, Hungary had a chance to break the deadlock with a corner. Although the initial cross was not successful, the subsequent delivery from the right saw players queuing up for a potential goal. However, Dardai’s header went over the bar.
Scotland had a rare shot on goal in the 54th minute when Che Adams fired over from outside the box. The team had struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the game. In the 52nd minute, Scott McTominay received a yellow card, meaning he would miss Scotland’s next game if they progressed to the knockout stage.
As the second half progressed, Hungary began to push forward and looked more threatening on the counter-attack. Sallai had a shot on target that was straight at Gunn. Scotland’s lack of attacking intent was a concern, and the team needed to find a way to test Hungarian goalkeeper Gulacsi.
The first half had been largely uneventful, with both teams showing minimal risk-taking. Scotland’s inability to register a shot on goal in the first half was highlighted, with this being the second instance in Euro 2024 where they failed to do so.
As the first half came to a close, there was hope that the second half would bring a change in attacking intent from both teams. However, the game had been described as one of the worst in Euro 2024 so far.
In summary, Scotland’s match against Hungary had its fair share of drama with the injury to Barnabas Varga. Both teams struggled to create meaningful chances, and Scotland’s lack of shots on goal was a cause for concern. The second half held the promise of a more exciting game, but it remained to be seen if either team could break the deadlock.