Scotland 0-1 Hungary: Tartan Army heartbreak as EURO2024 campaign suffers brutal blow

A dull first-half in Stuttgart burst into life towards the latter stages of the match, as Scotland’s EURO2024 campaign came to a brutal end when Kevin Csoboth netted with just 18 seconds remaining on the matchday clock.

The match had been paused for more than five minutes towards the end of the second half, after a collision with Angus Gunn rendered Barnabás Varga unconscious. The Hungarian FA confirmed post-match that the forward is now stable and conscious at a local hospital.

As it happened

With a berth in the knockout stages at stake, both teams were understandably keen to get the action underway in Stuttgart – but Hungary perhaps took that too far, with a second attempt at kick-off needed after a premature run from one of the Magyarok forwards.

A quiet start to a match that Scotland needed to win to stand any chance of remaining in control of their own destiny would rapidly worsen, with Switzerland taking the lead against Germany to eradicate any chance of a shock second-place finish for the Tartan Army.

Dominik Szoboszlai was the focal point of any Hungarian attacks, with a pair of free-kicks squandered before the break – the first was nodded over by the Scottish defence, before Willi Orban struck the crossbar as he attempted to latch onto the second.

Chances were few and far between when play resumed for the second half, but the raucous atmosphere in Baden-Württemburg was swiftly silenced in the 69th minute when a serious collision inside the penalty area left Barnabás Varga in need of treatment.

A delivery into the box saw Angus Gunn clash with Anthony Ralston and Varga, with the latter landing on his back and swiftly being put into the recovery position by his teammates. As was the case three years ago at Parken when Christian Eriksen collapsed, stadium medics appeared in no rush to attend – with one of the Hungarian players instead running to grab the stretcher.

He was eventually wheeled off after a lengthy period of on-field treatment, and the pause appeared to spark life into both sides with the tempo of the match noticeably heightened when play resumed. The Hungarian FA have since confirmed that Varga is stable and conscious.

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Stuart Armstrong was furious to not be awarded a penalty after his leg was taken from underneath him by the leg of Orban; the referee waved play away, and there was no recommendation for an on-field review from VAR.

Pinball ensued from that point onwards, with Szoboszlai forcing an impressive near-post save from Gunn as the clock ticked into ten minutes of stoppage time – and Kevin Csoboth was left in disbelief when his shot from a tight angle ricocheted off the woodwork merely seconds later.

Still, there was time for heartbreak for Scotland. After a sustained period in which the Tartan Army looked destined to score, a rapid counterattack saw Csoboth played through on goal with an opportunity to make amends for his earlier miss.

He took it expertly, slotting home in front of the Magyarok supporters to spark euphoric celebrations and wheeling away to hold aloft a Varga shirt to pay tribute to his injured teammate.

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Hungary will now look to progress as one of the best third-placed teams, while Scotland’s participation at EURO2024 comes to a heartbreaking close in Stuttgart. Still, it may not be the last time the Tartan Army take Germany by storm – with a petition for the two nations to clash in a yearly friendly having already reached more than 15,000 signatures.