The European Championship qualifiers in Group G have concluded, with Serbia securing their place alongside Hungary, who had previously clinched their spot for the tournament in Germany. In a crucial match held in Leskovac, Serbia faced Bulgaria, needing at least a draw to confirm their qualification. The Serbian team appeared confident, especially after Veljković’s 17th-minute goal gave them an early lead. Throughout the first half, Serbia largely dominated the game, creating several scoring opportunities. Despite a disallowed goal by Mitrovica, Serbia maintained control until Bulgaria staged a remarkable comeback.
In the 59th minute, Rusev equalized for Bulgaria, and Despodov added another goal ten minutes later, stunning the Serbian players and fans. However, Serbia managed to draw level when Babic headed in a crucial goal from a corner, bringing the score to 2:2. This draw was particularly significant as Montenegro was initially leading against Hungary, a situation that could have spelled disaster for Serbia.
In a fortunate turn of events for Serbia, Hungary rallied to defeat Montenegro 3:1. Montenegro had taken the lead with Rubezic’s 36th-minute goal, momentarily keeping their Euro dreams alive. However, Hungary’s comeback, spearheaded by Liverpool’s star Szoboszlai with two goals in the 67th and 68th minutes, dashed Montenegro’s hopes. Nagy sealed the victory for Hungary with a final goal in the 93rd minute.
Ultimately, Hungary topped the group undefeated with 18 points, followed by Serbia with 14 points. Montenegro finished third with 11 points, while Lithuania and Bulgaria ended the qualifiers with six and four points, respectively.
