Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
2022/23 UEFA Nations League
League A - Group 3
Matchday 1
Germany v Hungary
Merkur Spiel-Arena
Dusseldorf, Germany
Saturday, 7 September 2024
Kick-off is at 20h45
Julian Nagelsmann will be hoping to turn Germany's
UEFA Nations League fortunes around in 2024-25 as they prepare to face Hungary at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday, September 7.
Die Mannschaft had been a dominant force both in Europe and on the global stage for decades, winning the World Cup four times and the European Championship on three occasions.
But their aura of fear has faded in recent years after exiting the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at the group stages, while only making it as far as the round of 16 at Euro 2020.
Nagelsmann has brought new hope to the national team since replacing Hansi Flick at the helm in September 2023 and they impressed at Euro 2024 on home soil before eventual champions Spain ended their title challenge in the quarter-finals.
Germany have yet to progress to the final stages of the UEFA Nations League, with their best showing coming in 2021-22 when they finished runners-up to La Roja in their group.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Hungary have fallen on hard times since the Ferenc Puskas era, but they're slowly gaining recognition on the continent again after failing to qualify for the European Championship from 1976 to 2012.
The Magyars regularly found themselves in tough qualifying groups, but went on to feature in the last three editions of the tournament, although the best they managed was the round of 16 at Euro 2016.
Marco Rossi has been in charge of the national team since June 2018 and won two consecutive promotions in the UEFA Nations League to compete in League A for the first time in 2022-23.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
Nagelsmann is looking to build on the promising performances he saw at Euro 2024, but admits there are certain areas that can still be improved upon.
"We will consolidate the things we did at the Euros rather than try out a lot of new things," he said. "Also because many players are a bit overwhelmed in the first few weeks at their clubs.
"We want to be a bit more variable in the way we build up the game. But we don't want to complicate things. What we want to improve on is the faster, more straightforward game going forward after winning the ball back.
"That's something we didn't do so well. We also want to improve on set-pieces. These will be important points."
Head-to-Head record:
Matches - 11
Germany wins - 5
Hungary wins - 3
Draws - 3
Bet on UEFA Nations League action with Betway
Start your sport beting journey with Betway Malawi and enjoy solid action and heart-racing thrills when you bet on soccer leagues such as the Spanish La Liga, the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A and many more.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions download the Betway App and start playing on the go!