England trounced by Hungary in Nations League as Germany hammer Italy
WOLVERHAMPTON: Hungary humiliated England 4-0 away on Tuesday to go top of their Nations League group and hand the hosts their worst home defeat for 94 years, while it was also a night to forget for Italy as they lost 5-2 in Germany.
Not since a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Scotland’s ‘Wembley Wizards’ in 1928 had England been beaten by four goals at home, but they were torn apart by Hungary in Wolverhampton and are now in real danger of being relegated from League A to the less glamorous second tier of European international football.
England coach Gareth Southgate made nine changes from the team that drew with Italy at the weekend to give some fringe players a chance. But despite dominating possession, England created few chances and the experiment backfired against a Hungary team who beat them in Budapest earlier in the month and were out for blood again.
Hungary began the rout in the 16th minute at Molineux as Freiburg forward Roland Sallai controlled the ball on his thigh and volleyed in after a free-kick was nodded down.
Sallai scored again 20 minutes from time before England collapsed, with Zsolt Nagy making it 3-0 from an emphatic strike.
Home defender John Stones was sent off and then substitute Daniel Gazdag wrapped up a famous Hungarian triumph with a cool finish over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
England have just two points from four games and defeat in their next match in Italy in September would condemn them to relegation to League B.
“It was a night to forget but we’ve got to take it on the chin. We’ve got to move forward,” said England captain Harry Kane.
“We are preparing for a big World Cup and that’s the most important thing. We’ll learn a lot from this camp.”
Hungary are top of League A, Group 3, a point above Germany who leapfrogged Italy thanks to their thumping win over Roberto Mancini’s experimental side in Moenchengladbach.
Joshua Kimmich’s close-range finish gave Germany an early lead and they doubled their advantage thanks to Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Thomas Mueller fired in the third after the restart before Serge Gnabry set up Timo Werner to score two quick-fire goals midway through the second half.
The visitors pulled one back when striker Wilfried Gnonto scored 12 minutes from the end to become Italy’s youngest ever goal-scorer. Alessandro Bastoni then further reduced the deficit in injury time but the result still allowed Germany to match their biggest ever win over Italy, recorded in 1939.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands remain clear at the top of League A, Group 4 after beating Wales 3-2 in a dramatic finish in Rotterdam.
Goals from Noa Lang and Cody Gakpo had the Dutch 2-0 up midway through the first half, but Brennan Johnson rapidly pulled one back.
Gareth Bale then appeared to have salvaged a point for Wales when he converted a stoppage-time penalty, only for Memphis Depay to sweep in a 93rd-minute winner for the Dutch.
The Netherlands are three points ahead of Belgium, who won 1-0 against Poland in Warsaw thanks to Michy Batshuayi’s early header.
Wales are bottom of the group with just one point from four games this month, when their focus was on qualifying for the World Cup.
In League B, Ukraine came from behind to draw 1-1 with the Republic of Ireland in the Polish city of Lodz, with Artem Dovbyk equalising after Nathan Collins had opened the scoring in style.
Ukraine are top of Group 1, a point ahead of Scotland who won 4-1 in Armenia with Stuart Armstrong scoring a brace before John McGinn and Che Adams added further goals and the hosts finished with nine men.
Edin Dzeko netted twice for Bosnia and Herzegovina in their 3-2 defeat of Finland in Group 3.
Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2022
