Hungary out to break Portugal duck
Friday, January 1, 2016
Article summary
Hungary's mission is to end a miserable record of five defeats in five competitive encounters with Portugal as the sides meet in their final UEFA EURO 2016 Group F fixture.
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Article body
Hungary have barely laid a glove on UEFA EURO 2016 Group F opponents Portugal in ten previous meetings.
Previous meetings
• Hungary's record against Portugal is W0 D3 L7 (W0 D0 L5 in competitive games).
• The nations' only final tournament encounter came at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Portugal prevailing 3-1 at Old Trafford in their opening game. Both teams qualified from the group, ahead of Brazil and Bulgaria.
• Portugal breached the Hungary defence three times in both qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2000, the second victory taking them into the finals as the best runners-up. A decade later, a Pepe goal gave the Iberians a 1-0 victory in Budapest, with Simão Sabrosa scoring twice in the Lisbon return (3-0) as Portugal qualified for the World Cup in South Africa.
• The teams have been drawn together in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
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.
• The only Hungarian side to have played in Lyon in UEFA club competition is Debrecen, who lost 4-0 to Lyon in a 2009/10 UEFA Champions League group match.
EURO facts – Portugal
• Portugal are competing at their sixth successive EURO and their seventh in total. They have never failed to make it through the group stage.
• Portugal's greatest achievement is reaching the final of UEFA EURO 2004 on home soil, where they unexpectedly lost 1-0 to Greece.
• The 1984 EURO in France was Portugal's first – they reached the semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 to the hosts in extra time.
• Lyon hosted Portuguese clubs in seven UEFA games at the old Stade de Gerland. The Portuguese sides' record in those contests was W2 D3 L2.
Coach and player links
• Have played together:
Tamás Kádár (Hungary) and Danilo (Portugal) – Roda JC, 2012–13
• Hungary's Nemanja Nikolić scored past Portugal's Rui Patrício when Videoton defeated Sporting CP 3-0 in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage.
