Hungary will host Serbia as the top two teams in Group G face off in Euro 2024 qualifying. Both sides enter the game tied on points. Hungary has a significant edge because they have played one fewer game than Serbia. Even a loss would not be catastrophic for Marco Rossi’s team.
Previews (Hungary vs. Serbia)
With three victories, a draw, and just one goal allowed in four games. The Magyars are the only team in Group G to remain unbeaten. On matchday one of their qualifying schedule, they easily defeated Bulgaria at home, 3-0. It was being forced to settle for a goalless draw with Montenegro. It was despite possessing almost 70% of the ball and even fewer efforts on goal than their rivals. Rossi’s team was unable to breach the Montenegrin defense. Three days after dropping two crucial points, Hungary triumphed 2-0 over Lithuania to earn their second win. Later, they consolidated their position as group leaders against their main rivals, Serbia. They defeated 2-1 with two goals each from Barnabas Varga and Willi Orban.
With a victory, Hungary would be in prime position to win Group G, but Montenegro, who is currently third and only two points behind the two group leaders, is still in the mix for direct qualifying. Beyond this game, Hungary’s current away record—Rossi’s team is unbeaten in their past five away games, including a convincing 4-0 win against England in the UEFA Nations League—provides another source of optimism. Serbia, on the other hand, had a flawless start to their qualifying campaign, winning their first two games against Montenegro and Lithuania in late March with a score of four goals and no responses.
A few months later, the teams unexpectedly drew 1-1; nevertheless. Dragan Stojkovic’s team only managed to salvage a point in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The stunning outcome in Sofia was followed by a defeat to Hungary by a score of 2-1. Attila Szalai’s own goal gave Serbia a lead after just 10 minutes. They promptly let up two goals to fall down 2-1 at the break and lose the top-of-the-group match.
Team News
On Friday night, Hungary will play with a totally healthy roster. The offensive trio of Varga, Roland Sallai, and Dominik Szoboszlai form a 3-4-2-1 configuration that should pose difficulties for Serbia throughout the entire game. In their first four games, the trio has scored a total of four goals, making them crucial to their offense if they want to challenge their opponents. Denes Dibusz in goal has likewise been a dependable backstop, allowing only one goal so far. The defensive trio of Adam Lang, Szalai, and Orban has demonstrated practically faultless play throughout qualification. At first glance, Serbia appears to have even more depth in their roster than Hungary and can comfortably compete offensively with their opponents on Friday.
The Eagles will definitely be led by Mitrovic, who scored a hat-trick in only 20 minutes against Lithuania, with Dusan Tadic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic serving as his creative partners. The pressure on Nikola Milenkovic, Milos Veljkovic, and Srdjan Babic has increased as a result of their defensive unit’s underwhelming play and three straight losses without a clean sheet. The game is interesting since both sides have a wealth of attacking potential. According to the results of the matches against Bulgaria and Lithuania, Serbia appears more defenseless. Therefore, it is difficult to think that Stojkovic’s starting lineup will be able to contain a group of players as skilled as Hungary for the full 90 minutes.
Hungary 2 – 1 Serbia
For more football previews, click here
