The Swiss national team came close to a valuable victory against Germany on Sunday evening at Frankfurt’s “Deutsche Bank Park” stadium. However, the hosts managed to equalize in the final moments, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This concluded the first group matches of Euro 2024.
Switzerland almost took the group lead with their dominant performance, but the draw was sufficient to keep Germany at the top with an undefeated record, accumulating 7 points compared to Switzerland’s 5. Switzerland finished as group runners-up and qualified for the round of 16 along with the host country.
Deadly draw
The match was significant for Manuel Neuer, who set a new record for the most appearances by a goalkeeper in Euro competition history, playing his 18th match and surpassing Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon.
Germany initially thought they had taken the lead in the 18th minute through Robert Andrich, but the goal was disallowed after VAR detected an error by Jamal Musiala during the attack. Switzerland responded effectively 10 minutes later with Dan Andoy scoring past Neuer to take the lead.
Just as Switzerland seemed set for victory, Niklas Volkrug scored in stoppage time to equalize, marking his second goal of the tournament and tying as top scorer alongside three other players, including his teammate Jamal Musiala.
In the next round, Germany will face the Group C runner-up among England, Denmark, and Slovenia. Meanwhile, Switzerland awaits a tough match against the Group Two runner-up, which could be Italy, Croatia, or potentially Albania if they cause an upset.
Moments of terror
In another match within the same group, Hungary secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Scotland, moving to third place with 3 points and a goal difference of “-3”. The outcomes of the remaining group matches will determine the other teams advancing to the round of 16.
Scotland, with only one point, finished at the bottom of the group and has exited the competition. The match saw Kevin Cuspoth become the hero with a decisive goal in the 10th minute of stoppage time.
During the game, play was briefly halted in the second half due to an injury to Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga, who collided with Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Medical personnel attended to Varga on the field, ensuring his condition was stable before play resumed.
