Germany Must Remain Focused For Hungary Match, Says Manuel Neuer

Neuer Urges Caution as Germany Prepares for Hungary Clash

Manuel Neuer has called on Germany to stay grounded following their impressive start to Euro 2024. The German squad is set to face Hungary in Stuttgart on Wednesday, a match Neuer warns will be a step up in competition.

Germany recorded a historic 5-1 victory over Scotland last Friday, marking their largest win in the opening game of a European Championship. Goals from Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug, and Emre Can highlighted their strong performance.

Despite the dominant win, Neuer emphasised the importance of maintaining focus. "The trust among us as team-mates and the coaching staff is very high," Neuer said on Monday. "We have started preparations for the Hungary game and the focus and concentration is increasing."

Neuer added that while the team gained confidence from their early goal against Scotland, they remain cautious about underestimating Hungary. "Hungary will be a different level. This is a warning for us and we will not underestimate them," he stated.

If Neuer appears in another game at these Euros, he will surpass Hugo Lloris for the appearance record among goalkeepers at World Cups and European Championships combined. Both currently hold 35 appearances each.

Hungary suffered a 3-1 defeat to Switzerland in their first match and may need a positive result against Germany to keep their hopes of progressing alive. Coach Marco Rossi acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, stating that Germany are favourites to win the tournament.

"I dare anybody to bet one Hungarian Forint on us. As of today that looks impossible," Rossi said. He added that Germany's performance against Scotland showcased their strength, making them the biggest favourites for the European Championship.

Germany - Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos delivered an exceptional performance against Scotland, completing 101 of his 102 passes for a pass completion rate of 99 per cent. He also made 31 line-breaking passes, more than any Scotland player completed passes in total.

Hungary - Barnabas Varga

Barnabas Varga briefly brought Hungary back into the game against Switzerland and now has seven goals in nine starts for his country across all competitions. Should he score on Wednesday, he would become just the second Hungarian to net in his first two European Championship appearances.

Match Prediction

Given Germany's dominant victory over Scotland, they are strong favourites to win their second match. Hungary has only kept one clean sheet in their 12 total matches at the Euros and have conceded the opening goal in seven of those games, losing six times.

Germany had five different goalscorers in their last match, more than they had in the entirety of Euro 2020. Historically, they have won their opening game of a European Championship eight times, more than any other team.

Opta Win Probability

Nagelsmann's team are poised to win their first two matches at a fifth edition of the Euros, having done so previously in 1972, 1980, 1996, and 2012. They won the trophy on three of those occasions.