Italy clinched a spot in the Nations League final four by beating Hungary 2-0. Playing in Budapest, the Italians controlled the game to secure their advancement. Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Dimarco provided the goals in this final League A-Group 3 encounter. The European title holders ended the campaign in first place with 11 points from six matches, just one point ahead of Hungary. Germany took third place, while England finished last and faced relegation.
Hungary only needed a stalemate at the Puskas Arena to secure a historic first appearance in the Nations League semi-finals. That dream was dashed in the 27th minute when a lapse in the Hungarian defense gifted Raspadori an easy finish into an empty net, after Wilfried Gnonto capitalized on a poorly played back pass.
Italy held a 1-0 lead going into the interval. The second half began with Hungary fighting aggressively for a draw, but Gianluigi Donnarumma produced two stunning saves in the 50th minute to deny Loic Nego and Adam Szalai—the latter of whom retired from international football following the final whistle.
Shortly after, Federico Dimarco doubled the lead, powering the ball into the top of the net from close range after connecting with a cross from Bryan Cristante. This strike marked Dimarco's first international goal and represented the 1,500th goal in Italy's history. Donnarumma continued his masterclass in the 55th minute, pulling off another great save to stop a header from Callum Styles.
Italy's dominant performance ensured they saw the game through to a victory. While Hungary's impressive group stage run echoed the glory days of the 1950s 'Magic Magyars'—including rare wins over Germany and in England—they were unable to break their winless streak against Italy that dates back to 1955.
This result was also Italy's first win in Budapest since 1996, proving that Roberto Mancini's squad remained a force to be reckoned with. Italy now joins the Netherlands and Croatia in the June 2023 finals, leaving the final spot to be decided by the upcoming clash between Spain and Portugal in Braga.