Euro 2024: Switzerland start campaign with a win
Hungary 1 - 3 Switzerland
Switzerland fought hard to secure a victory over Hungary, marking a successful start to their Euro 2024 campaign in Cologne.
Kwadwo Duah, a surprise inclusion by manager Murat Yakin, scored his first international goal, followed by Michel Aebischer doubling the lead just before half-time.
Hungary's Barnabas Varga gave his team hope with 30 minutes remaining, expertly converting Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai's perfectly weighted cross past Yann Sommer.
Substitute Breel Embolo sealed the win in stoppage time with a delightful lob over Peter Gulacsi.
A closer look at what happened
From the outset, Yakin's team controlled possession, leaving Hungary with little to show in attack during the first half.
London-born Duah, having played only 45 minutes for Switzerland before this match, was brilliantly set up by Aebischer and finished neatly past Gulacsi in the 12th minute.
Just before the break, left wing-back Aebischer cut in on his right foot and expertly placed a shot beyond the diving Gulacsi from 20 yards out.
In the 63rd minute, Varga missed a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit, steering his header wide. However, he quickly redeemed himself, meeting Szoboszlai's curling cross with a deft header three minutes later to make it 2-1.
Despite the encouragement from their fans, the Hungarians couldn't find an equaliser.
Monaco striker Embolo, recently back from a cruciate ligament injury, came off the bench in the 74th minute and capitalised on a defensive mistake to slot home in the third minute of added time, securing the victory for Switzerland.
Did you watch this match?
With the kick off at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, many British football fans enjoyed what was quite an enjoyable game of football.
Frances Bentley, an Arsenal fan, spoke about the impact of one former Arsenal player. She said: "You can see the maturity in Xhaka's play. As a player, he has developed his skills and has found this sense of calm, but still has this level of aggression and bite about him that you don't want to lose. You'd have to say that this is the Xabi Alonso influence. He had a fantastic season for the club, and his country are now benefitting from this experience."
Daniel Dickson, a Spurs fan, added: "Switzerland had an outstanding first half. They would have anticipated a response from Hungary in the second half, but ultimately, their quality prevailed. Hungary will be disappointed. Their next match against Germany is a must-win now and after seeing them thrash Scotland, they won't be very confident."
