Levi Rothermund
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Northern Ireland sit level with Ukraine at the top of League B Group 2 after a tidy opening win, while Hungary arrive nursing a bruised ego following a home defeat to the same Ukrainian side. Michael O’Neill’s men have found a way to win ugly this campaign, whereas Marco Rossi’s squad, stacked with Bundesliga and Premier League talent, could not turn 17 shots into a single goal last time out. That gap between chance creation and finishing is worth watching closely here.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains the player who tilts games for Hungary on his own, and his passing range from midfield will likely dictate how much possession Rossi’s side actually enjoys. On the other side, Shea Charles has quietly become Northern Ireland’s most productive midfielder, scoring the winner against Georgia and adding a physical presence few teams in this group can match.
Hot stat: Hungary fired 17 shots and won four corners against Ukraine but still walked away with zero goals and a 0-1 defeat, a wastefulness that has cropped up more than once in Rossi’s recent sides.
| 🏆 Tournament: | UEFA Nations League 2026/27, League B Group 2 |
| 🗓️ Date: | 28.09.2026 |
| ⏰ Time: | 20:45 CEST |
Northern Ireland vs Hungary prediction
We think the smart money here sits on the goals column rather than the result itself. Both sides have played low-scoring, tight matches recently, and neither has shown the kind of attacking consistency that suggests a bag of goals is coming. Hungary have scored more than once in only one of their last five outings, and Northern Ireland’s own attack has relied on scrappy single-goal margins rather than any real fluency.
Hungary edge possession battles more often than not, evidenced by their higher pass counts and completion rates, but that dominance has not translated into cutting edge lately. Northern Ireland foul more (14 versus 12 in their last match) and pick up cards at a similar rate, which could mean a stop-start affair with plenty of set pieces but few clean chances. Honestly, this looks like a match settled by one moment of quality rather than sustained pressure.
| 🔥Hot Tip: | Hungary Win or Draw (Double Chance) |
| ⚽Total Goals: | Under 2.5 |
| 💥Both Teams To Score: | No |
| 🎯Total Corners: | Under 9.5 |
Team Analysis
Northern Ireland’s win over Georgia was built on defensive discipline rather than dominance. Trai Hume and Dan Ballard barely put a foot wrong across 90 minutes each, and Shea Charles’s goal was the difference in a match where the visitors managed just 12 shots. Before that, O’Neill’s side lost to France, beat Guinea narrowly, drew with Wales, and fell to Italy, a mixed run that shows a team capable of grinding out results against lesser opposition but still exposed against sharper attacks. In our preview of Georgia vs Northern Ireland we called for a Georgia win by two clear goals with both sides finding the net, and the 1-0 result went against us as O’Neill’s side traveled away and ground out a clean, disciplined win instead.
Hungary’s defeat to Ukraine stings more given how much of the ball they held. Willi Orbán and Bendeguz Bolla completed the bulk of their passing but the front line, led by Damir Redzic and Dániel Lukács in that game, never really threatened. Rossi’s side had won three of their prior four fixtures against Kazakhstan, Finland, and Slovenia, only drawing blank against Greece, so this dip in front of goal feels more like an off night than a pattern, though it arrives at an inconvenient moment. In our preview of Hungary vs Ukraine we called for the Hungarians to edge past Ukraine on the back of sharper recent scoring form, and the 0-1 result went against us as Ukraine’s defense held firm and snatched the win instead.
Most recent Head-to-Head Matches
Northern Ireland and Hungary have not met in any recent competitive fixture within the data we track, so there is no head-to-head table to draw from this time.
🚨Check out our dedicated Northern Ireland vs Hungary stats page for more info.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Hungary the favourite
- Moneyline Northern Ireland 2.80 | Hungary 2.68
- Draw 2.98
The market barely separates the two sides, and honestly that lines up with what we see on the pitch. Hungary carry the better squad on paper, Szoboszlai alone tips a few of these markets, but Northern Ireland’s home form and their knack for winning tight games keep the draw and away odds close together. We would not be shocked by any of the three outcomes, which is exactly why the goals markets look like better value than the result itself.
Northern Ireland. Source: Official Facebook
Possible Starting Lineups
Northern Ireland possible starting eleven
- GK: Pierce Charles
- DF: Trai Hume, Dan Ballard, Ciaron Brown, Tom Atcheson
- MF: Shea Charles, Ethan Galbraith, Justin Devenny
- MF: Isaac Price
- FW: Josh Magennis, Ceadach O’Neill
O’Neill tends to stick with the shape that got him a win, and the 4-3-1-2 gives Isaac Price freedom just behind the front two. Shea Charles is the one to watch again after his goal against Georgia, while Dan Ballard’s aerial presence at the back will matter against a Hungarian side that likes to work crosses into the box.
Hungary possible starting eleven
- GK: Balazs Toth
- DF: Bendeguz Bolla, Willi Orbán, Milos Kerkez, Mark Csinger
- MF: Dominik Szoboszlai, András Schäfer, Áron Csongvai, Milan Vitális
- FW: Damir Redzic, Milan Tóth
Rossi’s 4-4-2 leans heavily on Szoboszlai and Schäfer to control the middle third, and both played every minute against Ukraine. Willi Orbán’s distribution out of the back was one of the few bright spots last time, and he will need another big performance if Hungary want to control tempo away from home.
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Hungary. Source: Official Facebook
TipsGG Match Prediction
Our punters team leans toward a cagey, low-scoring night in Group 2. Neither side has shown the firepower to suggest a repeat of Hungary’s 3-1 win over Kazakhstan, and both defenses have been solid enough in patches to keep this under 2.5 goals. We like Hungary to shade it narrowly or draw, backed by their squad depth, but would not be surprised if a single set piece decides everything. BTTS No feels like the sharpest side market given how many of these teams’ recent matches have finished with a blank sheet for one side.
Read also: Predicted Lineups: Northern Ireland vs Hungary – Expected XIs and Team News
Read also: Northern Ireland vs Hungary Head-to-Head: Record, Stats and Form as of 26 Sep 2026
