Chronicle Editor
Finally, silence. For so long, Hungary thought they were about to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo and the European champions with their determined defence and a brilliant goalkeeper.
Roared on by a capacity crowd of 61 000, a seething mass of antibodies, they resisted for 84 minutes.
Moments earlier, they thought they had won it when substitute Szabolcs Schon forced the ball past Rui Patricio at his near post. Cue bedlam. Flares smouldered behind Patricio’s goal and something appeared to be alight.
The crowd, remember the crowd? How it brings another dimension to a football match.
A cluster of firefighters appeared from one corner of the Puskas Arena and dealt with it quickly. Meanwhile, referee Cuneyt Cakir had doused the fire by ruling out the goal for offside. Hungary argued and perhaps they lost their focus in this split second because very soon they were behind to a deflected shot from Raphael Guerrero and their hard graft amounted to very little.
Three minutes more and Ronaldo extended the lead from the penalty spot, a foul given against Willi Orban for a trip on Rafa Silva.
He made no mistake to score his 105th international goal and then added another in stoppage time, dancing around goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and rolling the ball into an open net.
In real time it appeared a fraction offside but Cuneyt took advice from his VAR and allowed the goal to stand. Three nil was a brutal scoreline for Hungary and it was a cruel last 10 minutes.
For so long they thought they were onto something special and maybe they are. After the sobering finale, the crowd rose up again, and serenaded their team at the end.
It was a stirring sight and this vibrant crowd in Budapest may yet have its say in this extraordinarily tough Group F.
But this was the right outcome, if a little flattering.
Portugal dominated the first-half but whenever they were able to burrow through Hungary’s well-manned defence they came up against RB Leipzig’s excellent goalkeeper Gulacsi.
His first save, springing to his left as early as the fifth minute denied Diogo Jota, who collected a pass from Bernardo Silva, rode a tackle and went for goal when Ronaldo was screaming for a pass.
Another save frustrated Ronaldo further. Gulacsi was unaware the flag was about to go up for offside but he dashed from his line and foiled the Portugal skipper.
Replays showed the call was tight. Had he found the net it would have been a job for the VAR.
Gulacsi saved again from Jota, who fired a shot low and firm on the turn. The Hungary goalkeeper, who had loan spells at Hereford, Tranmere and Hull as he tried to break through at Liverpool, formed a barrier and made the block.
His defenders were doing the same. Orban was quick across the turf to make a vital tackle on Bernardo. Ronaldo created the chance, having made a mistake, he sprinted back to win possession and released Bernardo, who ought to have been more clinical. He gave Orban the time to recover and he did.
The clearest opportunity of the first-half fell to Ronaldo, two minutes before half-time. The cross was driven to him at pace, through traffic and yet his standards are so high in front of goal that it was a shock to see the ball fly over from the inside of his right boot.
Hungary rarely ventured out of their own half. Thirty-six minutes had passed before they gave their supporters something to cheer in an attacking sense. Adam Szalai’s header from a free kick went straight into the hands of Patricio. The crowd turned up the volume once more, pressurising the officials in a way they have been unaccustomed.
Ruben Dias was booked for what seemed a fair tackle, winning a bouncing ball from Gergo Lovrenscics before inevitable contact between two people running in opposite directions.
Howls of outrage rang around the stadium and experienced Turkish referee Cakir reached for a yellow card. Once they picked on this, the players flung themselves around at the slightest touch.
Gulacsi made another splendid save, pushing aside a header by Pepe, but Hungary performed with a little more risk after the interval and the game stretched and opened up.
Captain Szalai, who engaged in a tussle with Dias, tried his luck from 30 yards. His effort zipped off the turf, providing a greater test for Patricio who was able to gather it without fuss.
Roland Sallai stung the keeper’s palms with another from long range and again the noise levels rose. Sallai deflected a cross wide at the far post when a better connection might have beaten Patricio.
Portugal, however, were still creating chances.
Belatedly, Bruno Fernandes began to stir, finding spaces as the Hungarian markers tired. Fernandes fizzed a shot at goal and Gulacsi was there again, saving low at full stretch with fingertips.
Once he was beaten by Guerreiro’s deflected effort that was that. The floodgates opened and only the final whistle spared them more punishment. The champions have started with a win. France are the next visitors here on Saturday. — Mailonline
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