Böde’s brace brings Hungary to brink of EURO 2016 qualification

Dániel Böde came off the bench to score two well-taken goals against the Faroe Islands and keep his Hungary team in contention for a place at next summer’s UEFA European Championships in France. Róaldur Jakobsen had given the visitors an early lead but substitute Böde turned the state of the match around within eight second-half minutes to condemn the Faroes, who had captain Atli Gregersen dismissed in added time, to a second defeat at the hands of Hungary in this campaign.

Hungary were first to threaten from Zoltán Gera’s cross in the seventh minute but Nemanja Nikolic’s attempted dink over Faroese goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen dropped agonisingly wide. Four minutes later and it was the visitors who took a surprise lead when Joan Edmundsson slid the ball into Jakobsen with his back to goal who then turned Roland Juhász and dispatched the ball coolly past Gábor Király’s left hand low into the right corner of the net.

The home side tried to force their way back into the game with long-range shots from Balázs Dzsudzsák, Ádám Bódi and Dániel Tőzsér but they were dealt with competently by Nielsen who also impressed in saving Hungary’s best chance of the first period just before the break when he blocked Ádám Bódi’s low drive after the Debreceni VSC winger had been given a sight of goal 14 metres out to the right of the goal.

Hungary had struggled to break down a stubborn Faroese defence with through passes so a change of tactics was very much welcome at half-time, as was the double substitution of Bódi and Dániel Tőzser who made way for strikers Dániel Böde and Krisztián Németh.

Although Németh played well, it was Böde who instantly exerted influence over the game and ultimately grabbed the headlines. Firstly he planted a perfect header back across the goal and into the far left corner of the net from Tamás Kádár’s excellent left-wing cross in the 63rd minute before eight minutes later completing a stunning turnaround for Hungary when he showed neat footwork to evade two defenders and smash a rocket of a right-footed shot high into the left side of the Faroe goal from 12 metres out.

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There were few scares after this and Hungary to their credit kept pushing for the third goal which would have taken the sting out of the game. In the end though a third goal wasn’t needed and Bernd Storck’s side can now approach Sunday early evening’s final group F fixture in Greece with renewed confidence. A play-off place has now been secured but automatic qualification to EURO 2016 is still possible if they can beat Romania’s result in the Faroe Islands or if they finish as the the campaign’s best 3rd-placed team from across the qualifying groups.

Budapest, Üllői út, ko: 20:45. Ref: Schörgenhofer (Austria)

Hungary: Király – Fiola, Juhász, Guzmics, Kádár – Nagy Á., Tőzsér (Németh K., 46′) – Bódi (Böde, 46′), Gera, Dzsudzsák – Nikolics (Priskin, 75.)

Faroes: G. Nielsen – Naes, Gregersen, Nattestad (Faerö, 84.), Davidsen – R. Joensen (Sörensen, 78.), S. Vatnhamar, Baldvinsson, Jakobsen (P. Justinussen, 62.), Bartalsstovu – Edmundsson

Goalscorers: Böde 63., 71.; Jakobsen 11.

Red card: Gregersen (93.)

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters