Euro takeaways: Just when you were ready to count Germany out …

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This article was published 19/06/2021 (1904 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The tables turned in Group F of Euro 2020 on Saturday as Hungary and then Germany stunned favourites France and Portugal.

Such an accomplishment was Hungary’s 1-1 tie against France in the opening game of the day that fans and players alike broke into a second rendition of the country’s national anthem as a post-game celebration.

Hungary entered this year’s group of death with a potential for disruption against three of the top nations in the tournament. It nearly lived up to its reputation in its opener against Portugal, but collapsed in the final six minutes for a 3-0 loss. Against France, the Hungarians upped the ante by scoring first, a goal just before halftime by Attila Fiola, who beat goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the front post.

The goal was hugely against the run of play, and likely hugely frustrating for French striker Kylian Mbappé, in particular, after he failed to convert a number of clear-cut chances earlier in the match. But it evened out the game and even after Antoine Griezmann tied the match in the 66th minute, whacking home a wayward clearance by the Hungarians, the resilient underdogs did more than enough to earn a point.

It was a draw that may have felt like a loss in the French camp, with little room in such a competitive group for any kind of mistake. But their spirits likely would have livened up within a couple hours, with many thanks to Germany.

The Germans were coming off a close loss to the French in their opener, one that both reminded why Joachim Löw’s side has long been a global powerhouse but raised questions about where Germany’s offence would come from.

The answer? Out wide. German wingers Robin Gosens and Joshua Kimmich helped their team hit its stride in a 4-2 hammering of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. The win, which saw Germany score four goals in response to an opener by Ronaldo, was a reminder not to underestimate the perennial powerhouse, a team generally regarded as the third-best team in Group F. Underestimate Germany — or anyone in Group F, really — and you do so at your own risk, as France and Portugal learned Saturday.

It was a delightful morning of soccer for a neutral fan, and a roller coaster for diehard supporters. A warning to those fans: Get used to it. If Group F’s first two match days are any indication, day three will be full of excitement.

Lewandowski comes through: Just when it looked like Poland might be the second team eliminated from Euro 2020, who else but star striker Robert Lewandowski once again put his country on his back. With a loss to Slovakia in the tournament’s opening match combined with results elsewhere, the Polish were in a must-win situation against Spain. The situation looked even more dire 25 minutes in when Álvaro Morata, who was heavily criticized for a lack of a finishing touch in Spain’s opening tie against Sweden, put Spain ahead 1-0 with a tap-in off a pseudo shot from Gerardo Moreno.

But Poland, who showed far more attacking in its second time out, levelled the score in the 54th minute when midfielder Kamil Jóźwiak swung a cross from the left wing to a lurking Lewandowski at the back post, for the kind of header the striker has scored time and time again

It was just how Poland would have drawn the play up and, after surviving a missed penalty by Moreno and earning a point, the team celebrated with a lively huddle that suggested they knew they had done enough to keep their hopes alive.

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The 1-1 final leaves Spain and Poland, who sit third and fourth in the group, respectively, behind Sweden and Slovakia, with everything to play for in their final group stage games Wednesday.

Did you know? Poland’s Kacper Kozłowski became the youngest player in history to appear at a European championship, at 17 years and 246 days old. What were you doing at that age?

Matchday 2 winners and losers: Three teams clinched a spot in the knockout round in the second block of games — Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands — and only one country was officially eliminated — North Macedonia. Ukraine and Germany were among the big winners in the second round of matches, rebounding from opening-game losses to notch their first wins. Denmark, Croatia and Spain — with zero, one and two points, respectively — are among the nations expected to advance who still have hills to climb to make that happen.

On the docket: The final matchday has all four teams in each group kicking off at the same time, to avoid any advantages as the standings are finalized. It starts with Group A on Sunday, with the matches kicking off at 12 p.m. ET. Wales, currently with four points, will see if it can be the first team in the tournament to take points off Italy in a battle for the top spot in the group. Switzerland, with one point, can still qualify as one of the competition’s top-four third place teams with a win over Turkey, which is looking for a face-saving performance having not yet accumulated a point or scored a goal.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy