Under 21 team record win and loss in latest Euro qualifiers

According to mlsz.hu, Hungary Under 21s emerged from their latest pair of Euro qualifiers against Greece and Israel in the last week with a win and a loss to put them on seven points in fourth place in Group 4, eight behind leaders Portugal who have won all five matches, a point behind Albania in second and level on points with Israel in third spot.

Robert Kilin’s team suffered a cruel 3-0 loss in their first match last Thursday away in Israel after the squad were struck down by a virus which ruled out nearly a dozen players and meant Kilin could only name 13 fit players for the match once UEFA confirmed the fixture had to go ahead.

Four days later, on Monday this week, Hungary had the chance to put that defeat behind them and get their qualification campaign back on track at the new Alcufer Stadion in Gyírmot against Greece. Kilin made four changes to the team that had taken to the field in Petah Tikva, Dávid Gera, Bence Mervó, Ákos Kecskés and Barnabás Bese coming into the starting lineup.

Antonis Nikopolidis’ Greece side were the more composed team during the first period, generally controlling possession and carving out the better of the chances against a Hungary side which was guilty of ceding possession a number of times. Taxiarchis Fountas was first to threaten the home goal, his firm downward header from a Charis Mavrias cross seeing Gergely Nagy scramble the ball past the post for a corner in the 12th minute.

The visitors again came close to scoring in the 28th; Nikos Ioannidis seeing an effort come of the post before Mavrias had his effort from the rebound blocked. Greece were showing some crisp passing and neat combination play, often stretching Hungary down the flanks with Mavrias and Giorgos Masouras heavily involved and Fountas, Adam Tzanetopoulos and Manolis Siopis bossing the midfield.

Hungary, however, despite being outplayed for the bulk of the half, took the lead right on the stroke of half-time with their first real attempt at goal, Zsolt Kalmár receiving a pass from Bence Mervó in the left side of the box before stroking the ball high past Stefanos Kapino into the top right corner from 14 yards.

Galvanised by the goal, Hungary began the second half in improved fashion and started to force Greece on the back-foot with increasing frequency. The hosts almost doubled their lead in the 54th minute, Zsolt Kalmár seeing his fine, spectacular, dipping effort from the left-corner of the box tipped over the bar by Kapino for a corner. Greece came increasingly back into the fray as the half wore on though and equalized in the 75th minute when Nikos Ioannidis, adjudged to have been fouled by right-back Barnabás Bese in the box, dusted himself down before sending substitute goalkeeper Dávid Banai the wrong way from the spot.

Bese would redeem himself three minutes later however, turning from villain to hero as he was left unmarked at the back post following a Roland Sallai free kick. With his first effort valiantly blocked by Kapino the rebound fell kindly for the MTK man who lashed the ball into the net from close range to restore Hungary’s lead. Greece continued to put Hungary under considerable pressure late on but with a tactical change seeing Dávid Bobál come on to shore up the defence, Hungary held firm to record their second victory of the campaign and a vital three points.

“It was a real team effort to beat Greece today, I was happy with our organisation and discipline. Our style of play wasn’t always pleasing for me, and we have many areas in which we need to develop, especially in terms of technique and pace. In the coming weeks and months it is primarily these areas we are going to work on”, head coach Robert Kilin told mlsz.hu.

Hungary-Greece 2-1 (1-0)

Hungary: Gergely Nagy (Dávid Banai, 46′) – Barnabás Bese, Bence Lenzsér, Ákos Kecskés, Szilveszter Hangya – Dávid Forgács (Szabolcs Varga, 61′), Gergő Kocsis – Dániel Gera, Roland Sallai (Dávid Bobál, 82′), Zsolt Kalmár – Bence Mervó

Scorers: Kalmár 45’, Bese 78’; Ioannidis (pen) 75’

Att: 1,500

Source: http://en.mlsz.hu/