Pressure on for neighbours Austria and Hungary
Friday, January 1, 2016
Article summary
Austria and Hungary come together for the 138th time in UEFA EURO 2016 Group F, with Marcel Koller's side arriving at the finals on a nine-game competitive winning streak.
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Austria defeated Hungary 5-0 in the neighbours' first official international in 1902, but it should be closer as they reconvene in UEFA EURO 2016 Group F.
Previous meetings
• Austria have played 137 games against Hungary, with the record W40 D31 L66.
• Their first competitive encounter came at the 1934 FIFA World Cup, where Austria overcame Hungary 2-1 in Bologna to reach the semi-finals. That remains the countries' only final tournament meeting.
• When Hungary last qualified for a major tournament, the 1986 World Cup, they overcame Austria twice in the process, winning 3-1 in Budapest and 3-0 in Vienna. Those are the sides' most recent competitive encounters.
• Hungary won the most recent encounter, 2-1 in Graz in August 2006.
• Austria-Hungary was a single nation from 1867–1918, though they maintained separate football teams.
EURO facts – Austria
• This is the first time Austria have qualified for a UEFA European Championship final tournament – they appeared as co-hosts at UEFA EURO 2008 but failed to win in three games.
• Austria's greatest achievement is a third-place finish at the 1954 World Cup in neighbouring Switzerland. They last qualified for a World Cup in 1998, when the tournament was staged in France.
• Austria are one of four nations – along with England, Italy and Romania – who negotiated UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying unbeaten (W9 D1). They came to the finals on a nine-game competitive winning streak and having not lost in 11 competitive fixtures (W10 D1).
• Austria's only previous game in Bordeaux was a 1-0 friendly defeat by France in March 1984, Dominique Rocheteau scoring the goal.
• The only Austrian side to have played in Bordeaux in UEFA club competition is Rapid Wien, who drew 1-1 in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup first round.
EURO facts – Hungary
• This is Hungary's first EURO finals since 1972 and their first major final tournament since 1986. Only four countries competed at the two EURO final tournaments they reached – in 1964 and 1972.
• Hungary reached the final of the 1938 and 1954 World Cups, losing to Italy (in France) and West Germany respectively.
• Hungary made it to their finals after winning both legs of their play-off against Norway. Their record in the qualifying group stage was W4 D4 L2.
• The only Hungarian sides to have played in Bordeaux in UEFA competition lost UEFA Cup games against Les Girondins – Újpest 1-0 in November 1988 and Debrecen 5-1 in September 2001.
Coach and player links
• At 40 years and 75 days, Hungary goalkeeper Gábor Kiraly will become the oldest person to feature at a UEFA European Championship final tournament if he plays against Austria; aged 39 years and 91 days when Germany took on Portugal at UEFA EURO 2000, Lothar Matthäus is the oldest man to have played at a EURO to date.
• Austria's Zlatko Junuzović and Hungary's László Kleinheisler have been team-mates since January, avoiding relegation together at Werder Bremen.
• Have played together:
Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria) and Ádám Szalai (Hungary) – Mainz, 2011–13
Christian Fuchs (Austria) and Ádám Szalai (Hungary) – Schalke, 2013–14
Michael Gregoritsch (Austria) and Zoltán Stieber (Hungary) – Hamburg, 2015–16
• Austria defender György Garics was born in Hungary and also holds Hungarian citizenship; his family moved to Austria when he was 14.
• Hungary's German coach Bernd Storck took on Austria as Kazakhstan coach in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying; his side lost 2-0 in Vienna.
• Austria coach Marcel Koller faced Hungary as a player, his Switzerland side earning a 2-2 draw in Budapest in EURO '96 qualifying.