Ukraine vs Hungary Prediction

Ukraine travel to Budapest on 5 October 2026 at 21:45 for Andrea Maldera's competitive debut as Ukrainian manager against Hungary in UEFA Nations League League B Group 2. Hungary enter unbeaten through 2026 with three wins and one draw, most recently beating Kazakhstan 3-1 and Finland 2-1 in June. Ukraine won their friendly opener under Maldera 2-0 away to Poland in May but face a depleted squad heading into this opener.

Hungary's attacking threat centres on Dominik Szoboszlai, the Liverpool midfielder who controls tempo and creates from distance. Marco Rossi's side will press for possession at the Puskás Arena, but key absences complicate their setup. Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai have withdrawn, removing their established centre-forward and a primary wide option. Damir Redzic, Gábor Jurek and Dániel Lukács step into attacking roles as replacements. Hungary conceded in both June matches despite scoring five goals across those two games, exposing defensive vulnerabilities Rossi will need to address.

Ukraine's injury list runs longer. Artem Dovbyk, Artem Stepanov, Oleksandr Andrievskyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Ruslan Malinovskyi are all unavailable. Maldera retains Georgiy Sudakov and Viktor Tsygankov as creative forces, with Vitaliy Mykolenko providing defensive stability on the left and Illia Zabarnyi anchoring the centre. Vladyslav Vanat and Danylo Sikan offer centre-forward options. Ukraine's counterattacking pace could expose Hungary's advancing full-backs if the hosts commit too many players forward.

Form and H2H

Hungary's unbeaten run through 2026 gives them genuine momentum. Three victories and a draw across four matches, including consecutive wins in June with attacking output, suggest Rossi has built attacking rhythm despite personnel gaps. Playing at home amplifies that advantage.

Ukraine's friendly record under Maldera shows promise—a 2-0 win in Poland—but the squad depth crisis limits what the Italian coach can implement tactically. Neither side enters with clean sheet certainty. Hungary's June matches both ended with concessions despite scoring multiple goals. Ukraine's counterattacking structure could create openings if Hungary overcommit defensively.

Best bet

Both teams to score – Yes. Hungary's attacking form and home advantage make a goal likely, while Ukraine's technical quality in transition and Hungary's defensive inconsistency in June suggest the visitors will find the net. Szoboszlai and Sudakov/Tsygankov both possess the creativity to break through. At 1.80 odds, this represents fair value for a closely contested match where neither defence looks watertight.

Odds to watch

Hungary's home advantage and recent scoring run make the home win attractive. Melbet price 1 at 2.66, 1xBet at 2.72, Mostbet at 2.71 and 22Bet at 2.68. The draw sits at 3.14 with Melbet and Mostbet, 3.21 with 1xBet and 3.19 with 22Bet—reasonable value given Ukraine's attacking potential despite absences. A Ukraine win pays 2.78 at Melbet, 2.84 at 1xBet, 2.73 at Mostbet and 2.90 at 22Bet.