Budapest awaits a tense battle: Hungary vs Ukraine prediction - 25.09.2026
On Friday, September 25, Hungary will host Ukraine at the Puskás Arena in Budapest in the opening round of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. The match will kick off at 20:45 local time and mark Andrea Maldera's first competitive game in charge of the Ukrainian national team. Both sides will be looking to make a positive start in League B Group 2, which also features Georgia and Northern Ireland.
Hungary: Strong recent results despite attacking absences
Hungary enter their Nations League opener in encouraging form. Marco Rossi's side are unbeaten in their four matches in 2026, recording three victories and one draw. After defeating Slovenia 1-0 and drawing 0-0 with Greece in March, the Hungarians continued their positive run in June with a 2-1 victory over Finland and a 3-1 win against Kazakhstan.
Those results suggest that Hungary have enough attacking quality to trouble Ukraine. However, their two most recent victories also highlighted certain defensive vulnerabilities, with Rossi's team conceding in both matches.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains Hungary's main attacking weapon. The Liverpool midfielder is capable of controlling the tempo, creating opportunities through his passing and threatening opponents with long-range efforts and set pieces. With home support behind him, he could play a decisive role in the opening encounter.
Nevertheless, Hungary face significant personnel problems in attack. Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai have both withdrawn from the squad, while midfielder Callum Styles is also unavailable. Rossi has called up Donát Bárány, Zsolt Nagy and Milán Tóth as replacements.
Varga's absence leaves Hungary without their established centre-forward, while losing Sallai reduces their options in wide attacking positions. Players such as Damir Redzic, Gábor Jurek and Dániel Lukács may therefore have additional responsibilities in the final third.
Despite these setbacks, Hungary should approach the match with confidence. Playing at the Puskás Arena, the hosts will look to control possession, put Ukraine under pressure and use Szoboszlai's creativity to create scoring opportunities.
Ukraine: Maldera's competitive debut comes amid an injury crisis
Ukraine begin their Nations League campaign under Andrea Maldera, who took charge of the national team earlier this year.
The Italian coach made a successful start with a 2-0 friendly victory away to Poland on May 31. Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko scored in that encounter, giving Ukraine a promising first result under their new manager.
Ukraine subsequently faced Denmark on June 7, but the friendly was stopped in the 64th minute with the Ukrainians trailing 2-1. Viktor Tsygankov scored Ukraine's goal in that match.
However, the situation ahead of the Nations League opener is complicated by considerable personnel problems.
Artem Dovbyk and Artem Stepanov have withdrawn from the squad through injury, while Oleksandr Andrievskyi is unavailable after undergoing treatment for appendicitis. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Ruslan Malinovskyi are also absent, while Oleksii Hutsuliak has not been included in the squad.
These absences significantly reduce Maldera's options, particularly in midfield and attack. The coach will need to find the right balance between defensive stability and attacking creativity while continuing to implement his tactical ideas.
Nevertheless, Ukraine still possess several players capable of making an impact. Vitaliy Mykolenko provides reliability on the left flank, while Illia Zabarnyi and Mykola Matviienko can form an experienced central defensive partnership.
Further forward, Georgiy Sudakov and Viktor Tsygankov remain important attacking figures. Vladyslav Vanat and Danylo Sikan provide alternatives in the centre-forward position, while the pace of Ukraine's wide players could prove particularly useful in counterattacking situations.
Ukraine are unlikely to dominate possession for long periods in Budapest. However, they have enough technical quality to exploit the spaces Hungary may leave when committing players forward.
Probable lineups
- Hungary (4-2-3-1): Balázs Tóth – Bendegúz Bolla, Willi Orbán, Kornél Szűcs, Milos Kerkez – András Schäfer, Alex Tóth – Damir Redzic, Dominik Szoboszlai, Gábor Jurek – Dániel Lukács.
- Ukraine (4-2-3-1): Anatoliy Trubin – Illia Krupskyi, Illia Zabarnyi, Mykola Matviienko, Vitaliy Mykolenko – Volodymyr Brazhko, Oleg Ocheretko – Viktor Tsygankov, Georgiy Sudakov, Oleksandr Nazarenko – Matviy Ponomarenko.
Match facts and key trends
- Hungary are unbeaten in their four matches in 2026, with three wins and one draw.
- Marco Rossi's team have scored five goals in their two most recent matches but have also conceded in both encounters.
- Ukraine defeated Poland 2-0 in Andrea Maldera's first match in charge, while Viktor Tsygankov found the net in the interrupted friendly against Denmark.
- Hungary have lost two important attacking players in Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai, while Ukraine are also dealing with several significant absences.
Both teams have the attacking quality to find the net: Hungary vs Ukraine prediction
Hungary have several advantages heading into this encounter. They will play in front of their home supporters, enter the match on the back of positive results and possess a midfielder in Szoboszlai who can create chances almost single-handedly.
However, the absences of Varga and Sallai may affect the hosts' attacking efficiency. Hungary have also conceded in both of their June friendlies, which suggests that their defensive organisation is not completely reliable.
Ukraine face even more substantial personnel problems, but Maldera still has enough attacking quality at his disposal to trouble the Hungarian defence. Sudakov and Tsygankov can create opportunities between the lines, while quick transitions could allow the visitors to exploit the spaces behind Hungary's advancing full-backs.
The hosts are likely to enjoy more possession and create pressure through their attacking midfielders, but Ukraine should have opportunities of their own, particularly if Hungary commit too many players forward.
A closely contested encounter looks likely, with neither team guaranteed to keep a clean sheet. Hungary's home advantage and recent scoring form make a goal for the hosts a reasonable expectation, while Ukraine's ability to counterattack gives the visitors a realistic chance of responding.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes (Odds: 1.80)
