🔥 Penalty drama: Germany edge past Hungary in World Cup last 16 | OneFootball

Germany vs. Hungary – this duel has now become a small-field tradition. The two teams only recently met in the round of 16 at this year’s Socca European Championship, with a bitter outcome for the DKFV squad. With unfinished business, they now headed into the round of 16 at the Socca World Cup in Cancún, Mexico.

Hungary, in contrast to Germany, marched confidently through the group stage. Three wins from three games, not a single goal conceded – the Hungarians have clearly established themselves among the favorites. They play extremely physically and posed a tremendous challenge for Germany. "You’re going to have to suffer," Malte Froelich told his team before the match.

📸 Julian Meusel

The start, however, could hardly have gone worse. In the very first minute, Cekic lost the ball while building up play, and Hungary ruthlessly capitalized on the mistake. The early lead – but Germany was not fazed.

The body language was right, the team attacked bravely and created several chances. In the 7th minute, they were rewarded for their committed performance, albeit with a bit of luck: a pass from the German captain was decisively deflected and found its way into the net. The equalizer and, at the same time, the end of the goal drought against Hungary. In the European Championship round of 16, Germany had failed to score a single goal in the entire 40 minutes.

Afterwards, the German team played strongly, combining well with short passes and repeatedly creating chances – even if many of them went over the bar.

Shortly before halftime, however, the game turned. Betz lost the ball while building up play and, in the ensuing one-on-one, could only stop his opponent with a sliding tackle. An action that is forbidden in small-field football. The result: yellow card for Betz and two minutes with one man down for Germany.

Hungary had several good opportunities, but Andress, who came on for Betz, kept Germany in the game with some strong saves, preserving the 1-1 score at halftime.

The second half started more openly, but Germany soon regained more control and possession. However, there were no truly dangerous chances during this phase.

In the 36th minute, Betz made a strong save with his foot on a free kick, keeping the score level. Offensively, Germany was no longer threatening, so regular time ended 1-1.

In small-field football, there is no extra time – it goes straight to a penalty shootout. The shooter has ten seconds to score in a one-on-one against the goalkeeper.

For the shootout, 17-year-old Andress returned to goal, having already proven himself a penalty killer several times.

The first two attempts by both teams were unsuccessful. The Hungarian number seven then converted the third penalty, putting enormous pressure on Cekic. Since each team only has three attempts – unlike the five in full-field football – a miss would have meant elimination for Germany. But Cekic kept his cool and scored, sending the shootout into sudden death. Both teams then missed again.

The next Hungarian penalty hit the post, giving Fries the chance to decide the match. He dribbled forward and curled the ball into the top corner – a finish that ultimately decided the game. What a duel, what a dramatic shootout.

📸 Julian Meusel

The German celebrations were huge, and a loud "Oh, wie ist das schön" echoed through the night sky of Cancún. Next up in the quarterfinals: the Netherlands. Despite their strong tournament, Germany is likely to be slight favorites.

The match will be played in the night from Saturday to Sunday at 3:30 a.m.

You can watch the game live and for free at: twitch.tv/kleinfeldfussball

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.