Hungary vs. Norway: Date, Live Stream, TV Info for Euro 2016 Play-off Leg 2
Norway face the huge task of turning around a 1-0 home loss against Hungary when they take to the pitch on Sunday for the second leg of their UEFA Euro 2016 play-off.
Laszlo Kleinheisler gave Hungary a shocking lead in Norway during the first leg, putting the team in the driver's seat to book a spot for next year's tournament. Hungary haven't qualified for a major international tournament since 1986.
According to Infostrada Sports, Norway have a real mountain to climb in Budapest:
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Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match:
Date: Sunday, Nov. 15
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary
TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (UK), ESPN (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Sports Go, WatchESPN
Preview
To say Hungary's first-leg win over Norway was big would be an understatement. Not only did the visitors secure a vital away-goal that gives them a great chance of qualifying, they also managed to get past opponents that had made life hard on them for years, via KICKTV:
Kleinheisler soaked up the headlines with his goal, but Gabor Kiraly was arguably the biggest hero. The veteran goalkeeper turned back the clock to produce a superb display, including a key save on Stefan Johansen in the final minutes that preserved the result.
Hungary didn't steal a win in Norway, even if most neutral fans likely thought a draw woud have been a fair result. Johansen knew his team would be in for a challenge, despite their status as favourites before the first leg, per Celtic View (h/t Goal's Chris Myson):
"Now we have Hungary in the play-offs and everybody expects us to win because they think it is the easiest draw but all of us know that it is going to be tough.
It doesn't matter who you meet in the play-offs. I have seen a bit of them already and they are a good team. I think they are happy to get us too and it will be two tough games.
"
The key to Hungary's strong play was their advantage in midfield, where they were routinely able to field an extra player thanks to their 4-1-4-1 formation. Markus Henriksen and Alexander Soderlund were almost impossible to reach at times, and a tactical shift from Norway will be needed to avoid similar issues in the return leg.
The hosts have a rugged, experienced defence and enough space out wide to be effective on the counter attack. Expect Balazs Dzsudzsak and Krisztian Nemeth to receive more freedom to run with the ball and attack spaces, while the rest of the team concentrates on defending the lead.
Norway will face some tough decisions before the match even begins. Creativity has never been a staple of the country's football teams, and all eyes will be on Alexander Tettey to provide the visitors with the boost they need.
The Norwich City man can't do it all on his own, however, and there will be some strong calls to hand talented youngster Martin Odegaard an opportunity. The 16-year-old has the vision and passing ability to break down defences like no other, and he could be just what Norway need.
But the teenager hasn't played his best football for Real Madrid Segunda, saw limited minutes during Norway's qualification campaign and didn't even leave the bench during the first leg against Hungary. He's yet to score for Norway's senior team and doesn't have any experience playing in these kind of crucial matches.
We'll never know whether he's ready to lead his nation until he gets his chance, but there's too much on the line for Norway at this point. Odegaard certainly doesn't seem ready, despite his huge potential, and resisting the urge to build his squad around the supremely talented midfielder should be a priority for manager Per-Mathias Hogmo.
