By Katie Catherall
Germany delivered a dramatic 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Frankfurt to top Group A and guarantee their future in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Scotland weren't as successful in Stuttgart, recording a 1-0 loss at the hands of Hungary - crashing out of the tournament.
Scotland arrived hoping to achieve what their predecessors never could - make it out of a group stage at the European Championships. Just Marco Rossi’s Hungarian side stood in their way as they looked to make history at their 12th major tournament.
Steve Clarke's side struggled to gain momentum in the opening half - failing to make a single shot in the first 45 minutes. They remain the only team to have done this in the tournament, first missing to take a shot against Germany in the tournament opener, and then again in the face of Hungary.
Hungary had all the chances, albeit not masses more, with Dominik Szoboszlai close to etching his name onto the scoresheet on numerous occasions. The Liverpool star also attempted vital assists, with each shot just flying wide of the net.
Rossi's squad continued to charge ahead with dominance in the latter stages of the game, before a nasty collision between Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn and Hungary striker Barnabas Varga disrupted play for several minutes.
Substitutions were made to ensure the game could continue, as both sides searched for that all-important goal.
Then, when all hope seemed lost for both sides, Hungary's Kevin Csoboth sent the Scots packing, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner. It took 100 minutes for a goal to be scored in this fixture, immediately ending Scotland's dreams of progression.
Hungary's goal kept their Euro chances alive, meaning they will now be forced to sit and wait to see if they can advance as one of the top 3rd place teams.
Over at the Frankfurt Arena, the hosts seemed to finally face their match as Switzerland came out in full force. It was Germany who first found the back of the net as Robert Andrich fired a swerving shot from 25 yards out.
However, their celebrations were cut short - as VAR intervened and spotted a foul in the build-up play. Switzerland were handed a free-kick and the score returned to 0-0.
But it didn't take long for Switzerland to take full advantage of the disappointed German side as Dan Ndoye volleyed the ball into the roof of the net - leading the group with his efforts.
Murat Yakin's side played with skill - condensing the space and forcing Germany to pass sideways and backwards, desperate to find an opening.
A chance inevitably came in the final seconds of the game, as Niclas Fullkrug arrived off the bench to secure Germany's victory of the group and bring the score to 1-1. Julian Nagelsmann's side fought hard to get back into the game, and were rewarded in the best possible way.
Germany will next face the second-placed team in Group C - a group that contains England, Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Germany win Group A as Scotland crash out of Euro 2024.
