Have Hungary found France’s weakness?
Alarm bells ring for world champions after Griezmann rescues point
ANTOINE GRIEZMANN rescued France but in the frenzied atmosphere of Budapest came a sliver of hope for those hoping to stop them adding the Euros to their world title.
Many seem to have taken one glance at t he l avish array of natural talent within the French squad and decided they will glide effortlessly through this competition and triumph next month.
It is a dangerous game and Didier Deschamps has never been among t hem. He has always warned against complacency and here Hungary offered some solid evidence to support those concerns.
The magnificent Magyars kept out Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema and, roared on by another euphoric capacity crowd of 61,000, took the lead on the stroke of halftime through rampaging wing-back Attila Fiola.
Attila the Hungarian had only scored one other goal for his country and that was against Andorra. Little wonder there was a raucous reaction from him personally and the majority of those inside the Puskas Arena.
The Magyars used to boast the best international team on the planet. That was many years ago but t hey remain a passionate footballing nation and they glimpsed one of their finest results in modern times.
France fought back and found a way not to lose, as the best teams do. Griezmann levelled and they went flat-out for a winner but were repelled by Hungary’s defensive pillars and marvellous goalkeeper Peter Gulcasi. He was immense, saving late efforts from Mbappe and Corentin Tolisso and deserving his good fortune when Ousmane Dembele fired against a post.
It was a terrific spectacle, enhanced by the noise and Hungary celebrated the point as if they had won the competition. Players lined up with hands on their hearts as fans serenaded them with the national anthem before embarking on a lap of honour.
‘They gave the fans something exceptional, two hours of adrenalin, emotions, tension,’ Hungary’s Italian coach Marco Rossi said.
‘I’ve always seen the Euros on TV so I’m here, at 56, like a child at a theme park, and once you’re at the theme park you want to play on the merry- go- rounds and the other attractions. We’re here and we want to take part.’
France were immediately unsettled, forced to defend set-pieces and resist before they managed to strike any rhythm and test their hosts. Gulacsi kept out a fizzing drive from Benzema. He also, somehow, saved the follow-up from Griezmann, who should have found the net but was about to be ruled offside by referee Michael Oliver. Benzema sliced wide after sublime touches from Mbappe, who collected a Griezmann pass, set up his strike partner and glowered at him when he missed the target.
Perhaps here was a small window into the disharmony said to be simmering gently among some of the strikers in the squad. Has something disrupted the equilibrium within Deschamps’ squad?
Next time, Mbappe went it alone, wriggling past three red shirts only to pull his effort across the face of goal. Hungary clung on. They lost their lionhearted captain Adam Szalai, who felt dizzy after a blow to the head. He was taken to hospital.
They took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Fiola assessed the situation and charged down the left, headed a bouncing ball inside, collected the return from Roland Sallai and dashed clear of Benjamin Pavard.
Right-back Pavard was booked early by referee Oliver and clearly aware of his peril as he let Fiola go unchallenged. Into the penalty area and Raphael Varane dared not attempt a tackle either and Fiola found the bottom corner to beat Hugo Lloris. The celebrations were wild.
Fiola sprinted to the corner and hurdled a barrier protecting the desk of the pitch-side presenter, who was preparing for half-time. Her water bottles were scattered and her notes upended.
Elsewhere, flares were lit, smoke canisters went off amid the barechested fans behind Gulacsi’s goal and, like a flashback to a bygone footballing era, a toilet roll sailed through the air and unfurled itself across the penalty area.
Perhaps not quite a Waterloo moment for the French but the contest became a test of character.
They strung passes together and squeezed Hungary back. Manager Deschamps sent on Dembele who soon rattled the frame of the goal. Encouragement, then an equaliser. A long punt down the centre of the pitch from Lloris was not defended well by Hungary, stressed by the electric speed of Mbappe, who beat Loic Nego in a tussle for possession and cut the ball square.
Centre-half Willi Orban stuck out a foot to divert it from Benzema but towards Griezmann who gleefully swept high into the net and performed a little Alan Pardew dance for 5,700 France fans.
They were frustrated in their attempts to find a winner and those fans became angry at Hungary’s time-wasting antics, raining plastic water bottles onto the pitch.
They are not in danger of going out but France were hot and bothered and their air of invincibility has taken a knock.