Germany vs Hungary
Matchday 1 of the UEFA Nations League ends with Germany hosting Hungary at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf on Sunday.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann hopes that his side will do better in this competition after bowing out against eventual champions Spain in the quarter-final of the European championships.
However, Nagelsmann—and Germany supporters for that matter—will have to get used to not seeing several legends on the team, as father time has finally caught up to an ageing squad.
For the Magyars, Marco Rossi’s side entered this year’s Euros with a lot of promise and hope, which soon fizzled out after back-to-back losses against Switzerland and hosts Germany.
This match will undoubtedly have fireworks, so I suggest you tune in for this one.
Talking Points
Auf Wiedersehen, Legenden
It was a bitter end to a generation of Die Mannschaft greats when Germany succumbed against La Roja in the Euros. Legends of the sport who transformed the game, the quartet of Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Ilkay Gundogan have all announced their retirement from international football.
Part of the German team that lifted the World Cup back in 2014, they have won immensely—either personal or team honours—and have influenced the game for a long period of time.
Despite having a deep pool of talented and world-class players, their retirements will leave a huge gap in the German squad, and it is up to Julian Nagelsmann to fill this void in.
The 37-year-old manager now has at his disposal a younger and fresher crew. Less experienced and battle-hardened, but very good players nonetheless. And this year’s iteration of the Nations League will be the first chance of seeing if someone will be able to fill in the shoes of the departed stars.
Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen will finally be Die Mannschaft’s new main man in between the sticks, supplanting Neuer, who is considered one of the best goalkeepers in history.
At 32, ter Stegen has been in the shadows of Neuer for the longest time. Meanwhile, the midfield brilliance of Toni Kroos is one tough act to follow, but best believe Germany will be able to find a midfielder who can contribute to winning as much as Kroos did. To most, the obvious choice for this role is Bayern’s Aleksandar Pavlovic.
Thomas Muller and Ilkay Gundogan’s positions are also in good hands with the likes of Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala.
In other Nations League 2024 news, it was reported that Joshua Kimmich has been entrusted with the captaincy, succeeding Neuer and Gundogan.
Hungary are very good despite Euro stumble
Prior to the European championships, Marco Rossi’s squad were impervious, losing only once in their last 16 matches. But their streak—and hopes to be the ‘dark horse’ of the tournament—soon came crashing down after the Swiss and the Germans handed them heavy defeats.
Still, they were able to win their final group-stage match after Kevin Csoboth scored in the 10th minute of added time to ensure that Hungary do not go back to Budapest without at least a win.
Led by Dominik Szoboszlai, Willi Orban, Roland Sallai and Peter Gulacsi, Hungary remain a tough nut to crack.
History
Die Mannschaft and the Magyars are no strangers to each other, having already met 38 times as of writing; Germany hold a close edge with 14 wins to Hungary’s 11, whilst the other 12 matches found no winners between them.
As mentioned, Germany were the victors in their recent Euro outing, with Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan finding the back of the net.
However, their last two Nations League matches ended with a Hungary win and a draw. In fact, the Magyars finished above Germany in the last installment of the competition.
Betting Tip
Both teams are good enough to score, and although I see that Germany will clearly take this one, there is more value for money to be found in predicting the total goals scored.
Of course, the SBOTOP Nations League 2024 odds have Germany as the favourites (1.27) whilst Hungary are massively touted as the underdogs for this one (8.00). If you think nothing will separate the two teams, then feel free to bet on a draw, which is priced at 5.20. However, if you are one of the bettors who will pick Hungary and they somehow come out as winners, then I salute you in advance.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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