Talking Tactics: England persistence pays off as Hungary fall apart

As is so often the case for England in World Cup qualifying, they came up against a side who were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure.

Hungary executed their game plan to perfection in the first half, but fell behind 10 minutes after the interval and quickly capitulated. 

With abuse from the stands and objects being thrown at Gareth Southgate's players, the Three Lions came away with a 4-0 win to make it 12 points from four Group I matches.

First-half stalemate

It was a difficult opening half for Southgate’s side, who had the majority of possession but failed to test Hungary keeper Peter Gulacsi.

The hosts made it difficult for the attacking quartet of Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling to break through.

Marco Rossi’s troops set out with a very compact back line, with a particular focus on being tight in the central areas.

This allowed England some joy down the wings, most notably on Grealish’s left flank. Manchester City's British record signing created several openings but the chances were not converted.

Southgate will surely have encouraged his team to speed up their play at half-time, having failed to produce the quick passes that brought them so much success en route to the Euro 2020 final. 

Quick off the mark

Whatever Southgate said in the dressing room was certainly heeded by his side, who approached the second period with real purpose. 

Just four minutes after the restart, Kane was handed a golden opportunity to score, after a superb through-ball from Kyle Walker.

You would expect the England skipper to stick the chance away nine times out of 10, but Gulacsi was equal to his effort. 

The breakthrough came with 55 minutes on the clock and it did so down the left-hand side.

Grealish strode forward and had Mount playing an effective overlap around him. The Chelsea star was fed the ball, with two players to aim at in the centre.

One of the attacker's options was Sterling, who had the simplest of tasks to tap home.

Chances spurned

Hungary's compact set-up in central areas soon dissipated as they went chasing the game, which allowed Kane a little more freedom.

He missed a number of chances but one of the most potent poachers of the modern era did eventually get his goal.

As Sterling once again exploited England’s strength out wide, Kane drifted clear of his marker to get on the end of a deflected cross with a diving header.

It is this yard or two of space that the Tottenham man consistently creates for himself, in an area where he is particularly lethal.

Rice and easy

Declan Rice was in sensational form during the second half, deployed in a role that would have pleased supporters of his domestic club.

The West Ham man was not afraid to throw his weight around and get stuck into challenges, ruffling the feathers of his Hungarian opponents. 

He was also alert throughout and it was his interceptions that started the ball rolling for both of England’s first two goals.

As the Three Lions took control of the match, Hungary’s tactics went out of the window and the previous control they had in the middle of the park was lost.

That allowed Rice to dominate and he capped a fine performance by rounding off the scoring with a low strike from 20 yards, three minutes from time. 

Set-piece delight

Southgate’s outfit have been lethal from set-pieces since the 2018 World Cup — and they savoured yet more joy in Budapest.

The third goal was a familiar sight, with Harry Maguire heading home from a corner in the 69th minute. 

Much like the goals against Sweden in 2018 and Ukraine earlier this summer, the Manchester United defender drifted slightly away from his marker to plant the ball into the bottom corner.

The last laugh

It took a while to get the job done but Southgate and his team will be particularly pleased with their night's work.

And with Hungary likely to face repercussions following alleged racist abuse from the stands, the Three Lions can return home with their heads held high ahead of Sunday's clash with Andorra at Wembley.