Wales dealt another Euro qualifying blow with defeat against Hungary

Gareth Bale and Wales are now trailing in fourth place in their qualifying group
Gareth Bale and Wales are now trailing in fourth place in their qualifying group Credit: Getty Images

Hungary 1 Wales 0

Wales’s hopes of qualifying for the European Championship were dealt another blow after a late Hungary goal ensured a second successive defeat for Ryan Giggs’s side on a chastening night in Budapest.

Mate Patkai struck with only 10 minutes remaining to leave Wales, who had lost to Croatia at the weekend, trailing in fourth place in their qualifying group and, in their manager’s words, needing to win “nearly every” remaining match in this campaign.

Giggs’s team were left to rue a glaring miss from an out-of-sorts Gareth Bale, who had miscued what should have been a simple tap-in when the game was goalless. “You have to take your chances at this level,” Giggs said. “If you don’t, this is what happens.”

The result drastically increases the pressure on Wales to win their home games in this first qualification campaign since Giggs took over as manager and placed his faith in a collection of exciting youngsters.

“We have to probably win nearly every game now,” Giggs said. “I know it’s early doors, and there are still a lot of points [to play for], but we have made it really difficult for ourselves. We are probably relying on teams around us to drop points, which they will do because it is competitive. We have to start winning and if not win all the games, then the majority of them.”

Mate Patkai scored the only goal of the game for Hungary
Mate Patkai scored the only goal of the game for Hungary Credit: reuters

Wales were continually worried by Hungary’s set-pieces. There were fleeting moments of promise from Daniel James, whose move to Manchester United is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, but beyond a half-chance for Tom Lawrence, there was little creativity going forward until Bale’s miss.

The Real Madrid forward, whose club future is shrouded in doubt, had only the goalkeeper to beat but somehow spooned his effort up into the air after Lawrence had burst down the right.

Hungary responded well to the defensive lapse. Wales needed a goal-line clearance from Joe Allen to keep the score level before the powerful Adam Szalai bullied Jamie Lawrence in the area, allowing Patkai to burst in and crash home a powerful finish.

Match details

Hungary (4-2-3-1): Gulacsi (RB Leipzig) 6; Lovrencsics (Ferencvaros) 6, Barath (Sporting Kansas City) 6, Orban (RB Leipzig) 6, Korhut (Aris) 6; Nagy (Bologna) 6, Patkai (MOL Vidi) 7; Dzsudzsak (Al-Ittihad Kalba SC) 6, Szoboszlai (Red Bull Salzburg) 6, Holender (Honved) 5; Szalai (Hoffenheim) 7. Subs: Varga (Ferencvaros, for Holender 58), Kleinheisler (Osijek, for Dzsudzsak 70)

Booked: Patkai, Nagy

Wales (4-2-3-1): Hennessey (Crystal Palace) 5; Gunter (Reading) 6, Williams (Everton) 6, J Lawrence (Anderlecht) 5, Davies (Tottenham Hotspur) 6; Allen (Stoke City) 7, Ampadu (Chelsea) 5; Bale (Real Madrid) 5, Brooks (Bournemouth) 6, T Lawrence (Derby County) 5; James (Swansea City) 7. Subs: Smith (Manchester City, for Ampadu 54), Wilson (Liverpool, for Brooks 73), Vokes (Stoke City, for T Lawrence 79) Booked: Gunter, Davies, J Lawrence

Referee: Matej Jug (Slovenia)

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