Hungary vs Ukraine Prediction, Odds and Betting tips

Hungary vs Ukraine Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

Venue/location: Puskás Arena, Budapest

Team news, availability and recent form

Hungary start the Nations League with a squad that mixes the established spine around Dominik Szoboszlai, Willi Orbán, Milos Kerkez, Roland Sallai and Barnabás Varga with several newer names. Marco Rossi's current selection includes Bence Gundel-Takács, Ármin Pécsi and Balázs Tóth in goal; Bendegúz Bolla, Márk Csinger, Áron Doktorics, Milos Kerkez, Ákos Markgráf, Willi Orbán, Attila Osváth, Callum Styles, Kornél Szűcs and Bence Várkonyi across the defensive group; and Áron Csongvai, András Schäfer, Dominik Szoboszlai, Tamás Szűcs, Alex Tóth, Rajmund Tóth and Milán Vitalis in midfield. The attacking options include Roland Sallai, Barnabás Varga, Damir Redzic, Dániel Lukács and Gábor Jurek.

The goalkeeper situation is one of the clearest changes. Dénes Dibusz is not in this squad, which increases the chance for Balázs Tóth or one of the younger keepers to carry the responsibility. Rossi has also brought several first-time or less established players into a very demanding four-game window. Hungary's June friendlies were encouraging, with a 2-1 win over Finland followed by a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan, but Ukraine represent a sharper test of the defensive structure and of Hungary's ability to control transitions when their wing-backs advance.

Ukraine's latest squad was hit by two late changes. Artem Dovbyk withdrew through injury and Oleksandr Andrievskyi is unavailable after appendicitis. Ihor Krasnoper and Oleksandr Pikhalyonok were called in as replacements. The wider group still contains Anatoliy Trubin, Ilya Zabarnyi, Mykola Matviyenko, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Volodymyr Brazhko, Mykola Shaparenko, Georgiy Sudakov, Viktor Tsygankov, Oleksandr Zubkov, Andriy Yarmolenko, Vladyslav Vanat and Roman Yaremchuk.

Dovbyk's absence changes the centre-forward hierarchy but does not leave Ukraine without options. Vanat can stretch the line, Yaremchuk offers a more physical penalty-area presence and the attacking midfield still carries significant creation through Sudakov, Tsygankov and Zubkov. The challenge for Ukraine is to translate that individual quality into a coherent first competitive performance of the Nations League window after a 2026 in which their World Cup play-off campaign ended with a 3-1 defeat to Sweden.

Projected lineups

Projected Hungary XI (3-4-2-1): Balázs Tóth; Bolla, Orbán, Kornél Szűcs; Kerkez, Csongvai, Schäfer, Styles; Szoboszlai, Sallai; Varga. Possible changes: Alex Tóth can enter midfield, while Redzic and Lukács offer alternatives around Varga. The new-look goalkeeper position remains one of the areas to confirm on matchday.

Projected Ukraine XI (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Khrupskyi, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko; Brazhko, Shaparenko; Tsygankov, Sudakov, Zubkov; Vanat. Possible changes: Yaremchuk can start as the No. 9, Pikhalyonok adds another midfield passer and Yarmolenko remains an experienced option from the right.

Head-to-head and tactical analysis

The H2H looks positive for Hungary on paper but is almost irrelevant to the modern matchup. The only two senior meetings commonly listed were friendlies in 1992, both won by Hungary. There is no recent competitive series between the teams. The more useful comparison is stylistic: Hungary want Szoboszlai and Sallai receiving behind the first pressure line, while Ukraine have enough midfield technique to keep the ball away from Hungary's best transition zones.

Hungary's home advantage and set-piece threat remain substantial. Orbán, Varga and the delivery of Szoboszlai can decide a match without Hungary creating a large number of open-play chances. Ukraine's route is different. If Shaparenko and Brazhko can keep the first pass clean, Sudakov and Tsygankov can attack the spaces that appear outside Hungary's back three when the wing-backs push on.

Both teams begin Group B2 on zero points and both have another match only three days later. Ukraine travel to Georgia on 28 September, while Hungary then face Northern Ireland. That scheduling increases the importance of substitutions and makes the bench unusually relevant.

Statistical coverage is partial because the 2026/27 competition has not started. A complete 22/22 Statistical Core, including current HOME/AWAY xG, xGA, shots, shots on target, possession and corners, is unavailable; unavailable target metrics remain unavailable rather than being estimated. The sourced rows below preserve the package's current squad, schedule, recent-form and H2H context.

Market price and value

Hungary's home set pieces, Szoboszlai's delivery and the unfamiliar Ukrainian centre-forward hierarchy after Dovbyk's withdrawal are the strongest arguments against treating X2 as comfortable.

Conclusion

Ukraine still retain enough midfield and wide quality to avoid placing the whole attack on one striker, and the draw protection matters in a stadium where Hungary can change the match with one dead-ball sequence.