Hungary defeated hosts Norway 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Euro 2016 play-off match in Oslo, setting up a fascinating encounter for Sunday's return match.A goal from debutantLaszlo Kleinheisler was enough to split the teams, as a rigid Hungarian rearguard held firm against wave after wave of attack.In what was a sad day for Hungarian football after the death offormer Sunderland and Ipswich Town goalkeeperMarton Fulop, per BBC Sport,the team wore black armbands to honour the memory of the stopper.Norway raced out of the blocks as they tried to make an early impression on their opponents and nearly scored early.MarkusHenriksen expertly fedPer Ciljan Skjelbred, and the midfielder's goal bound shot forced Hungary goalkeeper GaborKiraly into an outrageous save to deny the hosts.Journalist Philip O'Connor hailed the eccentric goalkeeper and his unconventional choice of kit:The Norwegians continued to push with the game being played at an unexpectedly frenetic pace, but it was the visitors who would stun the watching crowd as they took the lead.Kleinheislerconfidently finished on his first start for Hungary, sweeping his left-footed chance past Norway's OrjanNyland, sparking wild celebration.The player's strike was shared on social media by Futbol Platformu:The traffic continued to flow in the direction of the Hungarian goal, despite the opening strike, but Kiraly was on form and keeping the ball out of his net.FourFourTwo'sHugh Davies was disappointed with the scoreline, but he congratulatedthe Hungarian goalkeeper on amilestone during his strong performance:Hungary survived until the half-time whistle, but the second half began in much the same vein as Norway hunted an equaliser.Jo Inge Berget caused countless problems for thevisitorsas he tore down the wing, but there was no end productfrom the home team's strikers.It seemed like a goal would never come for Norway against a Hungarian side who have won fans for their defensive solidity during the group stage.The hosts' work became too intricate around the penalty area as they looked to pick the lock, but Hungary kept their nerve to deny clear opportunities.Hungarian news editor Gergely Marosi called the action:There was a huge shout for a penalty just after the hour-mark as OmarElabdellaoui danced his way into the box, only to take a fall that referee Mark Clattenburg waved away, booking theNorwegianin the process.Blogger Babilona K was firmly in the camp of the underdog, as the visitors attempted to hold on against fierce pressure from Norway:The pace dulled in the final 10 minutes as the Hungarians sat in and waited for the counter. Norway were clearly showing signs of fatigue, and it appeared they would be heading for a surprise defeat.The visitors began to spoil and kill the game in the closing moments, but Norway continued to push through gears.They were almost rewarded in the 87th minute of the match as Pal AndreHelland hit the crossbar with a looping header.It was anagonisingend for theNorwegiansas Kiraly maintained his clean sheet, giving Hungary a slim 1-0 lead to take into the second leg.The follow-up will be played on Sunday, Nov. 15, withNorwegianhopes of qualification hanging in the balance.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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