Musiala and Gündogan shine as Germany ease to win against Hungary

Germany have momentum and, on current evidence, the dead-eyed edge of old. This was not quite the effervescent night’s football they produced against Scotland but it was more than enough to impress a lively crowd who, by the end, sensed they could start to believe. Goals midway through each half saw off a Hungary side that played well but missed chances at key moments, particularly when Barnabas Varga fluffed a glorious opportunity to equalise.

Jamal Musiala, born here in Stuttgart, continued his dazzling form with the first and quality told again when the influential Ilkay Gündogan wrapped things up. Hungary had been presented as dark horses for a long run at Euro 2024 but their prospects of further participation now hang by the slimmest of threads.

This was another vibrant spectacle at a tournament that has, in the stands, presented a gorgeous summer collage. Barely anybody in the arena had arrived without national colours and there was further pleasure to be taken in the fact that, while the presence of around 20,000 Hungary supporters meant the occasion was deemed high risk by police, no significant flashpoints were reported in the buildup.

Germany added to the palate by giving their pink-based second strip a tournament debut. They took 10 minutes to work their way into what quickly became another pulsating, incident-packed half of football but Musiala’s goal had been signposted. Some of the home side’s interplays around the box had been within a whisker of paying off and, when Musiala collected the ball from Florian Wirtz before slipping it into a bursting Gündogan’s path, they managed to make one stick.

There was still an element of fortune, the pass bouncing off Gündogan’s thigh as he sought to tame it and seemingly allowing Willi Orban to take control. The centre-back stumbled as he tried to shepherd the ball towards the byline, claiming a shove from Gündogan, but he had seemed to lean into his opponent and surely should have been stronger. Several of Hungary’s players certainly erred in stopping with hands held aloft while the Barcelona midfielder took control of matters and, from the left side of the six-yard box, teed up Musiala for a second thudding finish in as many games.

Marco Rossi had claimed that a point would be more than satisfactory for Hungary, presumably fancying their chances against Scotland on Sunday, but they almost caught Germany cold before falling behind. Manuel Neuer needed to be smartly out to the feet of Roland Sallai within 16 seconds of the start; he was then appreciative that a shot from Bendeguz Bolla, struck fiercely from an angle, was deflected over.

Peter Gulacsi saved at point-blank range from Kai Havertz, who perhaps foreshadowed the opener by outmuscling Orban, as Germany roused themselves. But they did not coast clear upon going ahead and Neuer, brilliantly repelling a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick before denying Varga from the rebound, was quickly required to bely his 38 years. Soon afterwards Jonathan Tah blocked another goalbound Szoboszlai effort and Hungary, while starved of possession for long spells, looked dangerous every time they attacked.

They briefly thought they had equalised before half-time when Neuer saved from Orban and Sallai converted the loose ball, only for a flag to be raised. Germany’s primary hope of a second had come through the electrifying Musiala, whose deflected strike into the side netting had a hefty proportion of the stadium celebrating in error.

Germany had been in a battle but that was inevitable. Hungary had, much as Rossi played their prospects down, taken a win and two draws from three recent meetings. Gulacsi kept tension levels high when he beat Gündogan’s driven cross away and then pawed Toni Kroos’ deflected follow-up away from trouble. As the hour mark neared, the hosts had done a better job of limiting Hungary’s access to dangerous spaces, Tah receiving raucous cheers for a thunderous but fair intervention on Szoboszlai.

Almost immediately Tah was backpedalling under a left-sided cross from Sallai and thankful that Varga, given a free header, looped Hungary’s best chance of the evening off target. How costly his aberration proved: Germany have been decisive finishers in the opening week and seven minutes later Gündogan was on hand to underscore the point.

It came at the end of a passing move that Kroos, so influential again, quickened up with a first-time clip to Musiala. Eyes in the back of his head, the Bayern Munich forward found the left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt in space and the resulting cutback was swept in crisply by an unmarked Gündogan. It was a sweet moment for Mittelstädt, who plays his club football here.

The contest was won. Gulacsi kept the score down with a save from Leroy Sané and Julian Nagelsmann played to the gallery late on, introducing two more Stuttgart players in Chris Führich and the Brighton loanee Deniz Undav. A late goalline clearance by Joshua Kimmich spoke of Germany’s resolve to finish the job.