Late Goals And Records Define Euro 2024 Group A's Dramatic Finish

Sunday's Euro 2024 action concluded Group A with dramatic late developments. Germany seemed poised for a surprising defeat to Switzerland until substitute Niclas Fullkrug scored in stoppage time, securing a 1-1 draw and sending the hosts through as group winners. Meanwhile, Scotland exited the tournament without a win after conceding the latest goal ever scored at the Euros, allowing Hungary to keep their knockout hopes alive with a 1-0 victory.

Already qualified for the last 16, Germany needed Fullkrug's late impact off the bench in Frankfurt to clinch top spot in the group. Dan Ndoye gave Switzerland a first-half lead with his maiden international goal, becoming the nation's second-youngest goalscorer at the Euros at 23 years and 242 days. However, Switzerland couldn't maintain their lead.

Manuel Neuer was left helpless against Ndoye's first-time finish on his 18th European Championship appearance, surpassing Gianluigi Buffon's record of 17. At major tournaments, only Cristiano Ronaldo (45) has played more games than Neuer (37). Julian Nagelsmann named the same starting XI for three consecutive games for the first time in Germany's history at this competition.

Toni Kroos finished with a passing accuracy of 92.5%, only averaging lower in one game for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 season. Kroos also equalled a record by completing 323 passes during the group stage, matching his own record from Euro 2016.

Germany eventually had 18 shots, with Fullkrug finding the top corner with the final one. The striker has now scored 13 goals in just 19 international appearances, with four as a substitute at major tournaments—more than any other European player. Despite losing out on top spot, Switzerland remains unbeaten in their last four games against Germany (W1 D3), sharing this streak with England and Spain.

Scotland 0-1 Hungary: Csoboth Ends Tartan Army's Hopes

In Stuttgart, Hungary celebrated a late strike to secure a 1-0 victory, leading to an early exit for Scotland. Kevin Csoboth made history by scoring the latest goal ever in the tournament's history (excluding extra time) at 99 minutes and 32 seconds. Scotland needed a win to finish third but failed to register a single shot on target during the game.

The Tartan Army managed just 17 shots throughout Euro 2024, tying Northern Ireland's record for the fewest shots by a national team since the group stage was introduced in 1980. Scotland also failed to manage a shot on target in both halves of two matches at Euro 2024, including their opening game against Germany.

Scotland pushed forward during their last-minute corner hoping to reach the knockout stage of the Euros for the first time but will leave another major tournament group stage without a win for the sixth time (1954, 1958, 1986 and 1998 World Cups and Euro 2020 and 2024).

Hungary ended an eight-game winless run in European Championship competitions with this victory, their first since beating Austria 2-0 at Euro 2016. This match also marked their first clean sheet since that win.