Chapman admits BBC 'couldn't find' any half-time highlights from Scotland match

24 June 2024 , 08:37

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Chapman admits BBC 'couldn't find' any half-time highlights from Scotland match

If you opted to tune into the not-so-desperate group stage clash between Germany and Switzerland on Sunday night, you'd have been forced to go without half-time highlights of Scotland's defeat to Hungary - because the BBC "couldn't find" any.

Steve Clark's Tartan Army needed to win to secure a spot in the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time, while Hungary's hope of progressing relied on victory and fortune elsewhere.

A ragged and cagey affair transpired until injury time when the game opened up out of urgency for both teams. Scotland eventually succumbed to a 100th-minute winner courtesy of Hungary substitute Kevin Csoboth to confirm elimination from the tournament.

The first-half in Stuttgart was not easy viewing, with Scotland failing to register a shot at goal despite more possession while both teams managed just seven touches in the box combined.

And BBC presenter Mark Chapman, who was working the Germany-Switzerland match on BBC 2, admitted at half-time that the dire nature of the game meant he had no match highlights to offer the audiences at home. "The game between Scotland and Hungary is goal-less by the way," Chapman said at half-time of Germany's group stage match.

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"We were going to bring you highlights of that but there have been seven touches in the box in the whole of the game, that's both teams. There's been one shot on target - from Hungary. Five shots in total, Hungary have had all of those. So we haven't actually found any highlights to bring you. But it's goal-less, it is on BBC1."

Scott McTominay of Scotland looks dejected after the defeat to Hungary

Defeat for Scotland left Clarke's side bottom of Group A with just one point as they begin their journey home. Clark was irate at full-time as he believed Argentinean official Facundo Tello failed to award a penalty when Stuart Armstrong went down under a clumsy challenge from Willi Orban in the 79th minute. The Scotland boss suggested that only European referees should be used for European competitions.

The significant time added on was due to a worrying injury for Hungary forward Barnabas Varga after he was accidentally caught by Scotland keeper Angus Gunn's arm during a free-kick midway into the second-half.

Varga was later confirmed to have suffered facial fractures by the Hungarian FA while players were said to have been furious at the time taken for a stretcher to arrive on the scene.

Megan Feringa