France Held To A Draw By Hungary In Budapest

World champions France entered the Puskas Arena in Budapest today, Saturday 19, to take on Hungary in their second Group F match, looking for the win that would take them through to the knockout stages of Euro 2020, but they didn’t count on a formidable Hungarian team that had no intention of losing, with a capacity 60,000 crowd cheering them on.

One of the loudest goal celebrations you are likely to hear erupted when Hungary took the lead in added time in the first half, through Attila Fiola, after a neat one-two with Roland Salla, with the goalscorer running pitchside to bang on a reporter’s table, knocking things off in the process, before being mobbed by his teammates, and the front row fans, in wild celebrations.

This goal stunned the French, who had dominated the first 45 minutes, doing everything right, except for putting the ball in the net, with Kylian Mbappe looking every part the player he is, unlike his quiet appearance in their first match against Germany. 

Didier Deschamps brought on Ousmane Dembele for the second half, who promptly fired a shot against the post, before his Barcelona teammate Antoine Griezmann finally equalised, after Hugo Lloris launched a huge kick downfield, and Mbappe laid it off to Griezmann, for Les Bleus to subdue the Budapest crowd.

Both teams went all-out for the winning goal, but the end result of a draw does seem the fairest, after what was a very entertaining match in Group F, which leaves Hungary propping the group up with their one point, and France looking ahead to the final match against Portugal on Wednesday.

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