Nations League: 2nd-half recovery bodes well for future despite Russia loss
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A stirring second-half comeback from 3-0 down will give Hungary’s men plenty of encouragement as they look ahead to a busy winter schedule, but ultimately it was Russia who won this second Nations League fixture of the new campaign 3-2 in the Puskás Aréna on Sunday evening.
An even first quarter of an hour ended with Russia’s first goal from Anton Miranchuk and Stanislav Cherchesov’s side doubled their advantage through captain Magomed just after the half-hour mark. Mário Fernandes made it 3-0 to Russia in the first minute of the second half but the outstanding Roland Sallai and substitute Nemanja Nikolic hauled Hungary to within a goal of a sensational draw before time ran out.
Hungary coach Marco Rossi had decided to make just one change from the side which defeated Turkey 1-0 in Sivas on Thursday, Barnabás Bese coming in for Attila Fiola on the right of a three-man defence as the team lined up in a 3-5-1-1 formation, lone striker Ádám Szalai again captaining the side.
The first opening of the match fell Hungary’s way in the third minute, Szoboszlai’s whipped free-kick from near the left byline after Sallai had been brought down being indvertently flicked on by a Russia defender but it just flew wide of the far right post. Two minutes later though, the hosts were fortunate not to fall behind, last man Ádám Lang being wrong-footed by a flick-on from a long clearance, a mistake which sent Miranchuk in on goal, but the Lokomotiv Moscow attacker could only drill his shot just wide of Gulácsi’s left post.
Roland Sallai had looked lively for Hungary early on and it was he who latched on to Szoboszlai’s defence-splitting pass – played accurately with the outside of his right foot – in the 12th minute, but his controlling touch was not enough to take it away from Russia goalkeeper Shunin. The away team were unperturbed and followed up their earlier warning with the opening goal in the 15th minute, Kuzyaev’s sliding pass into the box finding the arriving Miranchuk whose precise, guided finish with his right instep skidded past Gulácsi’s outstretched left hand and into the net.
Hungary certainly weren’t looking freeflowing in attack but they did fashion a couple of opportunities to level the scores, Sallai’s goalbound volley bouncing off the unlucky Szalai and wide of the Russia goal in the 22nd minute and Barnabás Bese’s powerful downward header from Sallai’s right-wing cross finding a well-positioned Shunin near his left post. The visitors extended their lead in the 33rd minute though when Semenov toe-poked the ball away from Szalai inside his own penalty area and perfectly set up Russia captain Ozdoev for a delight curling effort which found the bottom-left corner of the Hungary net.
