Hungary unbeaten in five away matches: prediction for Ukraine — Hungary
The fourth-round UEFA Nations League match between Ukraine and Hungary will take place on October 5 at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava. Both teams have collected four points, making their head-to-head clash particularly important in the battle for the places behind group leaders Northern Ireland.
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Ukraine: strong start followed by two winless matches
Andrea Maldini's team opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Hungary, thanks to Danylo Sikan's goal just before half-time. The Ukrainians then played out a goalless draw with Georgia before suffering a surprising heavy 0-3 defeat to Northern Ireland in the previous round.
The squad situation has become more complicated ahead of the return fixture. Sikan and Mykola Matviyenko will miss the match through suspension, while Mykola Mykolenko and Heorhii Sudakov have left the national team's camp due to injuries. Roman Yaremchuk is expected to lead the line from the opening whistle.
Hungary: gradually hitting their stride after defeat by Ukraine
After their 0-1 opening defeat, Marco Rossi's side picked up four points from their next two matches. Hungary first held Northern Ireland to a goalless draw away from home, then defeated Georgia 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Milos Kerkez.
Hungary have looked particularly assured on the road of late: the team is unbeaten in five consecutive away matches and has kept clean sheets in the last two. However, their attacking output remains modest — Hungary have scored just once in three rounds.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Ukraine defeated Hungary 1-0 in the opening match of this season's Nations League.
- Hungary are unbeaten in their last five away matches.
- Hungary have scored just one goal in three rounds of this season's Nations League.
Squad absences could prevent Ukraine from repeating their September success: prediction for Ukraine — Hungary
Ukraine have already shown that they can contain this opponent, but their results have dipped after the strong start. The 0-3 defeat to Northern Ireland was a worrying signal, while the absences of Sikan, Matviyenko and Mykolenko make the task even more difficult.
Hungary, by contrast, are gradually growing in confidence and have been reliable away from home. It would be difficult to expect a high-scoring performance from Rossi's team, but in a cautious contest, one decisive moment could be enough to settle the outcome.
