Ukrainevs
HungaryUkraine got the better of Hungary just ten days ago, but this is football and nothing stays the same for long. The Blue and Yellow have stumbled badly since that opening win, picking up zero points from their last two outings, while Hungary have quietly found their feet and come into this one with momentum firmly on their side. So the question is simple: can Ukraine rediscover that early form, or are Hungary about to exact revenge and take top spot in Group B2?
This one genuinely matters. Both sides are level on points and a win for either team could reshape the whole complexion of this Nations League group. It is as close to a must win fixture as you can get at this stage of the competition.
Ukraine vs Hungary Match Details
This UEFA Nations League Group B2 fixture takes place at City Arena Trnava, with Ukraine operating as the nominal home side given the ongoing circumstances surrounding their domestic football. It is a ground that has become familiar territory for the Blue and Yellow, and while it may not carry the same electric atmosphere as a packed national stadium, Ukraine will be hoping the setting gives them some degree of advantage over a Hungarian side that has been quietly impressive away from home.
Team News
Both managers are dealing with some notable absentees, which adds a layer of intrigue to the team selection ahead of this one.
- Danylo Sikan is suspended after accumulating yellow cards and misses out for Ukraine. He scored the winner in the reverse fixture so his absence is a real blow.
- Mykola Matviyenko is also suspended for Ukraine through yellow card accumulation.
- Vitaliy Mykolenko has left the national team camp through injury and will play no part.
- Roman Yaremchuk is expected to lead the line for Ukraine in place of Sikan.
- Milos Kerkez is suspended for Hungary after picking up a yellow card against Georgia. He was the match winner in that game too, so Rossi loses his most influential attacking contributor from the left back position.
- Bendeguz Volla is doubtful for Hungary with an ankle injury, meaning Attila Osvath is likely to cover at right back.
- Damir Redzic is also working his way back from an ankle problem and is not expected to feature.
Predicted Lineups
Andrea Maldera looks set to reshuffle his defensive unit significantly. With Matviyenko and Mykolenko both out, the back four is likely to read Valeriy Bondar, Ilya Zabarnyi, Eduard Sarapiy and Bogdan Mykhaylichenko. Yaremchuk leads the attack with Sudakov, Tsygankov and Yarmolenko providing the creativity behind him.
Marco Rossi faces his own defensive headaches. Osvath comes in at right back to cover for the injured Volla, while Akos Markgraf steps in for the suspended Kerkez on the left. Szoboszlai and Schafer anchor the midfield, with Daniel Lukacs and Zsolt Nagy supporting striker Milan Toth from wide positions. It is a compact and disciplined shape that Rossi has clearly drilled well over recent weeks.
Recent Form
Ukraine’s Nations League campaign has been a tale of two very different halves. They opened with that well taken 1-0 win over Hungary on September 25, Sikan heading home just before the interval to hand Andrea Maldera his first competitive victory since taking the job in May. For a brief moment it looked like the Blue and Yellow were hitting their stride. Then came the Georgia game, a goalless draw that raised a few eyebrows, followed by a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Northern Ireland on Friday. That is a brutal set of results for a side that looked promising just a week earlier and it raises real questions about the defensive organisation and lack of firepower without Sikan.
Hungary have experienced the complete opposite trajectory. They started slowly, losing that opener to Ukraine and seeing a four game unbeaten run come to an end. But Rossi has steadied the ship brilliantly. A goalless draw away to Northern Ireland was a solid enough response, and then Friday brought a narrow but important 1-0 victory over Georgia in Budapest, Kerkez heading home the winner. Three matches, one loss, two clean sheets, and a growing sense that this team knows exactly what it is doing defensively.
The numbers tell a stark story heading into Monday. Hungary have kept back to back clean sheets and are unbeaten in five on the road. Ukraine have not scored in 180 minutes of football and just conceded three without reply. The momentum is clearly with the Magyars.
Head-to-Head Record
The reverse fixture is the most relevant reference point here and Ukraine shaded it 1-0 thanks to that Sikan strike before half time. It was tight, controlled and low scoring, which is exactly what you might expect from two sides that are organised and hard to break down. Hungary will feel that game could easily have gone either way and they will be motivated to flip the result here.
More broadly, these two sides have met relatively infrequently at senior level, but when they do it tends to produce tight, disciplined contests rather than open affairs. There is a mutual respect between the two camps and neither manager is the type to gamble on the front foot. Expect another closely fought battle.
Key Stats
- Hungary are unbeaten in their last five away fixtures and have kept consecutive clean sheets going into this one.
- Ukraine have failed to score in their last two matches, conceding three goals in the process.
- Hungary have scored just one goal across their last three Nations League games, so this is shaping up to be an extremely low scoring affair.
Ukraine vs Hungary Betting Tips
The form book paints a fairly clear picture here. Hungary are the better side right now, their defensive structure is solid and they travel well. Ukraine are missing key players in crucial positions and have looked badly short of confidence in front of goal. The value lies with the visitors and in the under goals markets, because neither of these teams is exactly firing on all cylinders in the final third.
Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction
No is the call here. Ukraine have not scored in their last two games and are now without their most important striker through suspension. Hungary have been extremely hard to break down and have kept back to back clean sheets. The ingredients are not there for both sides to find the net.
Cards Prediction
With so much riding on this fixture and both squads carrying the frustration of suspensions already in this group, there is enough needle and intensity to expect a few yellow cards. A high cards game feels unlikely given both sides tend to be disciplined rather than reckless, but over three and a half cards across the match looks a reasonable line to side with given the competitive stakes.
Corners Prediction
Neither of these teams is particularly attack minded right now and with Hungary likely to sit deep and absorb pressure, expect Ukraine to probe from wide areas without always finding a way through. Something in the range of eight to ten corners for the match feels about right. Under ten and a half corners looks the sensible side of the line.
Over and Under Goals Prediction
Under 2.5 goals is the pick and it is not a close call. Hungary have scored just once in three Nations League matches. Ukraine have not scored in two. The reverse fixture finished 1-0. Everything about this fixture screams low scoring and tight. Back under 2.5 with confidence.
Correct Score Prediction
Hungary to win 1-0 mirrors the only goal of their Nations League campaign and echoes the pattern of the reverse fixture. With Kerkez missing Rossi will be leaning on his defensive structure even more than usual, nicking a goal from a set piece or a moment of quality and protecting it. That feels like the most likely outcome here.
First Goalscorer Prediction
Milan Toth is the man to back. With Kerkez suspended and Redzic unavailable, Hungary will rely on their number nine to be the focal point and Toth has the movement and composure to make something happen against a Ukraine defence that is patched together with cover players. He is not a prolific scorer by any means but the profile of this game suits a poacher who holds the line and waits for his moment.
Bet Builder Tip
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Hungary to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | No |
| Total Goals | Under 2.5 |
All three selections are telling the same story about this game, a tight, controlled Hungarian victory with the goals kept to a minimum, and combining them rewards you for reading the fixture correctly rather than padding the slip with noise.
Final Match Prediction
Ukraine had their moment in the reverse fixture and they made the most of it. But the ten days since then have not been kind and this is a very different side to the one that took three points off Hungary in September. The suspensions hurt, the form has collapsed and the confidence looks shot after that 3-0 defeat to Northern Ireland.
Hungary on the other hand look exactly like a Marco Rossi team at its best. Compact, organised, hard to score against and capable of nicking a goal when it matters. With the momentum, the defensive record and the motivation of revenge all pointing the same way, backing the Magyars to edge this one feels right. Hungary to win 1-0.
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