Gabor Kiraly: Clean sheet in Euro opener

Such is the size of Iceland’s population, it was estimated that one in every 33rd Icelandic person was inside the Stade Geoffroy Guichard supporting their team against Portugal. This was the day, though, when fortunes changed for the man who paid for a round of the Hungarian tipple Palinka for 200 people in Budapest to celebrate their qualification for these finals. It was the first goal in 41 matches for Szalai. It was his first goal in 39 appearances. Substitute Zoltan Stieber added the other after Austria was reduced to 10 men when Aleksandar Dragovic was shown a second yellow card.

It was the first European Championship match for Hungary in 44 years and the first tournament the country has qualified for since the 1986 World Cup.

The five-time Austrian Player of the Year was, at least initially, the central figure right from kick-off against Hungary, hitting the post from 25 yards out with less than a minute on the clock.

However, it’s Austria that enters the match ranked No. 10 in the world and Hungary No. 20.

The game will nevertheless be a special occasion for goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, famous for always wearing tracksuit pants on the pitch and set to become the oldest ever player at a European Championship if he starts at the ripe old age of 40.

40-year-old Kiraly was one of the heroes in Hungary’s win against Austria. “Congratulations to the whole team”, Storck said.

Austria’s three games at Euro 2008 produced only four goals (1 scored, 3 conceded) and they only converted one of their 46 shots.

“I expect the same as we have seen in recent games, especially against Germany and Ivory Coast, from a defensive point of view: we were well-organised and disciplined”, Storck said.

“I will certainly sing the Austrian anthem and probably the Hungarian as well and I think no-one can blame me for that”, Garics told media. Players such as of Legia Warsaw forward, Nemanja Nikolić, and Bursaspor winger, Balázs Dzsudzsák, will be key to Hungary’s hopes of progressing into the knock-out rounds in France and it is notable that Nikolic scored 28 goals in 45 games for Legia this season. Maybe a lack of concentration, we needed to be calmer.

Hungary captain Dzsudzsak wasted arguably the best chance of the opening 45 minutes, though, as he screwed his shot wide of goal after he was picked out by Laszlo Kleinheisler on the right-hand side of the penalty area.

Arnautovic then slid a risky low ball across the face of goal as Austria continued to threaten, but Harnik lost his footing as he tried to slide home at the far post.