🫠 Bitter Euro exit: Germany crash out against Hungary | OneFootball

After the outstanding group stage at the Small Field European Championship, the German national team faced Hungary in the round of 16. With four wins under their belt, the German team was considered the clear favorite.

In the end, the disappointment was all the greater, as the round of 16 marked the end for Germany and the big dream of the title burst.

Already in the initial phase, it became clear that it would be a completely different game than in the group stage. Both teams were tense and very careful not to make any mistakes.

The referees also did not contribute to the flow of the game. Their line was very petty, and many direct duels were blown off, which prevented some counterattacks.

The pitch also caused problems, as the stadium in Chișinău is designed not only for small-field football but also for beach football – under the artificial turf, there is still sand. However, due to the many games, it was noticeable that the pitch was deforming, and the ball was often slightly deviating.

So, the first half ended 0:0 with few dangerous actions.

The German team started the second half strongly and often forced long balls, which in turn led to their own ball possession. There were some chances, such as Anan in the 24th minute, who came to a conclusion after a dribble on the right side. However, his shot was strongly held.

The Hungarians stood deep, and the Germans couldn't find the spaces around the goal, so it mostly became dangerous through long-range shots. However, the long-range shots by Wurm (30th) and Betz (32nd) were strongly parried.

The greatest chance in the game came in the 34th minute, when Grünberg pushed through the defense and then laid the ball off to Winkel. However, Winkel failed to score from a free position in front of the goalkeeper, hitting the aluminum.

Small-field football is incredibly fast-paced, as could be seen in this scene. Because in the direct counterattack to the post hit, it became dangerous for Germany. Betz, who was preferred to Mehl, was able to defuse the situation.

Shortly before the end, the teams were already mentally preparing for the penalty shootout, as there is no extra time in the event of a draw.

But Chahrour made a fateful mistake in the last minute of the game. He lost the ball as the last man to Szabo, who remained cool in front of Betz and converted the ball ice-cold. Huge jubilation among the Hungarians, who could hardly believe they had beaten Germany. They will now face Croatia in the quarterfinals.

For Germany, the elimination after the good initial games is particularly bitter, as the team was expected to achieve a lot. DKFV President Christoph Köchy commented: "The elimination in the last minute is, of course, extremely painful. We were the better team, especially in the second half, but we didn't take our chances."

However, the performances definitely promoted the sport and left a desire for more!

📸 Julian Meusel

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