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Hungary's Adam Szalai celebrates after scoring their first goal with fans - REUTERS
AFP (Bordeaux): Adam Szalai and Zoltan Stieber scored second-half goals as Hungary stunned highly-fancied Austria 2-0 in their Group F opener in Bordeaux on Tuesday (14).
Austria, tipped as tournament dark horses, dominated the opening period but Szalai fired Hungary ahead on 62 minutes with Stieber wrapping up a shock victory over their old rivals late on in the 138th meeting between the sides.
Aleksandar Dragovic was sent off for Austria shortly after Szalai ended an 18-month goal drought as Hungary made a triumphant return to a major tournament having last featured at the 1986 World Cup.
“The players played out of their skins,” said Hungary coach Bernd Storck, who had previously described just qualifying for the tournament as a ‘miracle’. “This game today against such a difficult team, we had to play some very good football. We had a bit of luck, but you need a bit of luck in football.”
Austria coach Marcel Koller bemoaned a disappointing performance which cranks up the pressure on his side ahead of Saturday’s game against Portugal in Paris.
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to do what we wanted today,” he said. “Maybe some players were nervous because it was the beginning. We can’t just push a button and say ‘Now I’m going to play at my best level’. The situation now is we’ll have to try and win against Portugal.”
Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly kept a clean sheet as he became the first 40-year-old to feature at the European Championship, surpassing Germany’s Lothar Matthaus as the oldest player in tournament history.
Austria captain Christian Fuchs and winger Martin Harnik were the only two survivors from the country’s debut campaign eight years ago named in Marcel Koller’s starting line-up.
