Scotland’s Euro 2024 is over after Kevin Csoboth scored a dramatic added-time winner for Hungary in the Stuttgart Arena.
The Scots had a penalty claim turned down for a challenge on substitute Stuart Armstrong in the second half albeit Hungary twice hit woodwork and missed several chances.
There was some distress when Hungary’s Barnabas Varga was treated with screens around him before he was taken away on a stretcher but in the 10 added minutes for the incident, substitute Csoboth netted the winner for a 1-0 victory which meant Steve Clarke’s side finished Group A in fourth place with one point.
Scotland have still never qualified for the knockout stages of a major competition and, in a second successive Euros, Clarke’s men have finished bottom of the table having garnered only one point.
In what was the first competitive game between the two countries – and effectively a win-or-bust situation for both – Clarke replaced injured defender Kieran Tierney with Scott McKenna, his only change.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, the classy captain of Marco Rossi’s team, started despite training away from the main group this week and there was a return for Barnsley’s midfielder Callum Styles, in for Adam Nagy, with defender Endre Botka in for Attila Fiola.
A false start by over-eager Hungary at the kick-off saw it re-taken and then a battle for domination ensued.
The Scots got plenty touches of the ball in the early stages but in a Hungary break in the seventh minute, Angus Gunn had to save a long-range effort from Bendeguz Bolla with skipper Andy Robertson mopping up the keeper’s spillage.
How Group A finished...#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/dmrRhXpNSJ
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 23, 2024
Scotland were slow and laboured in possession. John McGinn was his usual combative self and fellow midfielder Billy Gilmour saw plenty of the ball but mostly in deep positions and Hungary keeper Peter Gulacsi was under little threat.
Hungary began to settle and five minutes from the break Scotland striker Che Adams gave a second free-kick away just outside the box, this time for a high foot.
Szoboszlai, whose first effort was deflected for a fruitless corner, this time chipped the ball to defender Willi Orban who clipped the crossbar with a header, although he may have been offside, and just before the break Szoboszlai fired a shot high over the bar.
The Tartan Army, subdued in the first half by their side’s caution, urged their side forward but it was Hungary who threatened in a counter, with Jack Hendry blocking a shot from Roland Sallai for a corner that was again defended.
The game began to stretch but mostly towards Gunn.
In the 65th minute Dardai headed a cross from Bolla over the bar.
There was concern when Varga required lengthy treatment after falling to the ground in the second half following an aerial challenge inside the Scots’ penalty area,
Hungary players quickly signalled that Varga was in trouble and were incensed by the time medics and stretcher bearers were taking to get over to help treat the player.
After several minutes of treatment with a screen around him, Varga was eventually taken away on as stretcher and a VAR check for a possible penalty came to nothing.
Martin Adam replaced Varga but moments later, Scotland claimed for a penalty when Armstrong, on for McGinn, was sent crashing to the ground by Orban but Argentinian referee Facundo Tello played on.
The final stages were marked by more substitutions and desperation and Gunn made a decent saves from Andras Schafer and Szoboszlai before Csoboth smacked the post but in the dying seconds – after Gulacsi had saved from Grant Hanley – he knocked in a cross from Sallai and Scotland were on their way home.
