France will take a relatively short trip to Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, June 19, for their second match of EURO 2020. Having won their opener against Germany, France will look to lock in their spot in the knockout stage with a win at Puskás Aréna and should feel confident in their ability to do so, having beaten Hungary in all of their last three meetings.
Hungary vs France
When: Saturday, June 19 – 15:00 CEST
Where: Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary
Weather: Sunny, 31°C
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Hungary will play host to the reigning world champions France on Saturday, June 19. It will mark their first meeting since 2005 when France won 2-1 at home.
Hungary won against France only once across their last five meetings, albeit way back in 1971. Les Bleu have since picked up three back-to-back wins with 3-1, 3-0, and 2-1.
Having beaten Germany in their EURO 2020 opener, France can seal the deal tonight, whereas Hungary need at least a point to avoid elimination. Playing at home has benefited them before, so Marco Rossi’s men should feel confident about their chances to cause some damage, however, they haven’t faced a team of this calibre in a very long time.
Hungary Have Nearly Done It
Last time out, Hungary had an excellent plan against the reigning EURO champions. They played defensive football, intending to suffocate Portugal and keep them at bay.
The plan was working as intended, and it all seemed like Marco Rossi’s men will walk away with a point. That was until the 84th minute, when Raphael Guerreiro scored a goal, with Cristiano Ronaldo adding two more in 87’ and 90’+2.
It was a solid effort from Magyarok, who unfortunately fell apart in the final eight minutes of the match. And it wasn’t like Hungary were only playing a defensive game.
Hungary had their chances, including Szabolcs Schon’s offside call just minutes before the Hungarians conceded their first. Rossi’s men had other opportunities besides that one, however, if you draw a line, Portugal were still the better team that day.
It might have been a painful 0-3 defeat, but a deserved one.
You could still feel hopeful about Hungary here, however. They have been showing great form before EURO 2020, managing an 11-game streak without a single defeat. What’s more, they will enjoy the luxury of playing at home.
France Could Have Done Better
France picked up a 1-0 victory against Germany on Tuesday, thanks to Mats Hummels’ own goal. Even though France theoretically failed to score a goal that day, they were a far better team and walked away from Allianz Arena as deserved victors.
We were a bit shocked with Les Bleus’s lack of chances against Germany, suggesting Didier Deschamps could make some changes to the team. Kylian Mbappé has had plenty of chances, however, he failed to convert a single one.
Still, we wouldn’t put too much weight on that game. France have the talent to score a few against any team – they simply have yet to show that side of them.
Hungary vs France
It’s very clear which team should have a better chance to secure all three points today. Hungary have proven their worth before, having beaten Turkey (2-0), and forced draws with Serbia (1-1) and Poland (3-3) at home, but France is an entirely different beast.
You could make an argument in favour of the hosts for playing at home, but we don’t believe that will make much of a difference here as a home advantage has yet to prove to be a massive benefit at EURO 2020.
Hungary might have held on well against Portugal for the first 82 minutes, but expecting them to achieve the same success against the pacey Mbappé, Karim Benzema, and Antonie Grieumann is a bit too optimistic.
Prediction: France -1.50 Asian Handicap – 1.95 at Sportmarket
For premium betting picks and predictions, join our premium membership, where we cover football, tennis, golf, horse racing, esports, and more. We’re offering a special discount for the duration of EURO 2020 – read more about it HERE.
