Hungary vs Ukraine prediction and predicted line-ups: Rossi against Maldera, with Sallai and Varga out, Nations League

Two Italian coaches meet in Budapest: Marco Rossi in charge of Hungary, and Andrea Maldera, in charge of Ukraine since May and taking his first competitive game. Friday 25 September is also the first competitive meeting between the two nations, who had only played two friendlies, both in 1992. The first of those, on 29 April in Uzhhorod, was Ukraine's first ever international: Hungary won 3-1, and the hosts played in an adapted Inter shirt with their own badge sewn on.

Hungary vs Ukraine: kick-off time and venue

Hungary vs Ukraine kicks off at 19:45 UK time (20:45 Central European time) on Friday 25 September at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. It is Group B2 of League B in the Nations League, with Georgia and Northern Ireland: the winners go up to League A and the runners-up into a play-off. England's Jarred Gillett is the referee, with Scotland's Andrew Dallas on VAR. The return game on 5 October will be played on neutral ground in Trnava, Slovakia.

Team news

AEK's Barnabás Varga has a hamstring injury and will be out for at least three weeks, with ADO Den Haag's Donát Bárány called up in his place. On Monday 21 September Galatasaray's Roland Sallai, out for around a month with a thigh injury, and Callum Styles also withdrew, replaced by Zsolt Nagy and the uncapped Milán Tóth. Since March 2023 Varga, Sallai and Szoboszlai have scored 33 of Hungary's 50 goals.

Maldera is without Bologna's Artem Dovbyk, who is injured, and Oleksandr Andrievskyi, who has had his appendix removed; the uncapped Artem Stepanov of Utrecht has also dropped out, replaced by Vladyslav Veleten. Mudryk, Zinchenko and Malinovskyi were not called up, because of injuries or a lack of minutes.

Hungary vs Ukraine predicted line-ups

There is no XI that stands up. Hungary's fixed points are captain Szoboszlai and Kerkez. Bárány, Szalai, who has six goals for Paks, and Jurek, the league's top scorer in mid-September with seven for MTK, are the options up front, with Lukács or Redzic on the right.

No Ukraine line-up had been published by 23 September. Announcing his squad on 16 September, Maldera said almost everyone would get a chance over the four games, eight halves in all. He has backed Benfica's Trubin in goal despite his lack of minutes and also mentioned Riznyk. The official line-ups are released about an hour before kick-off.

Head-to-head and form

After the 3-1 in Uzhhorod, Hungary also won the second friendly, 2-1 in August 1992. Their last competitive game was a 3-2 home defeat by the Republic of Ireland on 16 November 2025, which cost them a World Cup play-off place; in 2026 they have only played friendlies, all at home and all unbeaten. Ukraine went out in the play-off semi-final, beaten 3-1 by Sweden on 26 March; in qualifying they won 5-3 in Iceland and lost 4-0 in France.

Our Hungary vs Ukraine prediction

Our call is at least two goals, confidence 6 out of 10. Nine of the two sides' last ten competitive games had at least two goals, the only exception being Hungary's 1-0 win in Armenia. Without Varga and Sallai, though, Hungary are missing two of their three main scorers. The rest of the round is in our matchday one preview.

Every game with our calls is on the Nations League page. The record of settled calls is in the results history, and our calls on individual players are in player predictions.