Northern Ireland vs Hungary prediction 28.09.2026 | Nations League
Northern Ireland
Kick off:
Date:
Hungary
1
3.30
X
3.10
2
2.25
Contents
- Competition: Nations League
- Date: 28th September 2026
- Kick-off: 19:45 UK / 20:45 CEST
- Venue: Windsor Park
Belfast will be rocking. Northern Ireland clashes with Hungary, and history firmly favors the visitors. It's usually a tough watch for the Green and White Army. But wait. Remember Kyle Lafferty’s dramatic late equalizer against them in 2015? I lost my voice celebrating that night. Pure bedlam. Hungary brings serious tactical discipline and elite technical quality to the pitch. They will try to silence the home crowd early by dictating the tempo. Northern Ireland simply must weaponize Windsor Park’s hostile, electric atmosphere. Expect a gritty, physical battle. Let’s dig into the betting value.
Northern Ireland vs Hungary Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Northern Ireland
0 : 1
Hungary
Friendly International
-
Northern Ireland
1 : 1
Hungary
Euro Qualification
-
Hungary
1 : 2
Northern Ireland
Euro Qualification
-
Northern Ireland
0 : 2
Hungary
Friendly International
Hungary completely bosses the history here. Five wins from seven matches. Northern Ireland trails with just one lonely victory, though they always fight. It's usually tight. Frankly, that cagey 1-0 friendly loss in 2022 bored me to tears. These games average a low 1.86 goals.
Northern Ireland team overview
Northern Ireland enters this one on the back of a dramatic 1-0 away victory against Georgia. The Green and White Army completely missed out on Euro 2024, but they previously won their 2024 Nations League League C group with 11 points to earn promotion.
Michael O'Neill’s men boast a formidable home form at Windsor Park, currently six wins from their last seven competitive games on home soil. Midfield anchor Shea Charles is the key man after slamming home a 99th-minute winner last time out.
Sadly, star defender Dan Ballard is completely ruled out after picking up a brutal hamstring injury during that same match.
Honestly, losing Ballard is a massive blow to our backline, and it makes me incredibly nervous about keeping a clean sheet here.
Last matches of Northern Ireland
-
Georgia
0 : 1
Northern Ireland
UEFA Nations League
-
France
3 : 1
Northern Ireland
Friendly International
-
Northern Ireland
1 : 0
Guinea
Friendly International
-
Wales
1 : 1
Northern Ireland
Friendly International
-
Italy
2 : 0
Northern Ireland
WC Qualification Europe
Northern Ireland lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Pierce Charle
Defenders
-
17
Paddy McNair
-
18
Tom Atcheson
-
22
Ciaron Brown
-
5
Trai Hume
Midfielders
-
19
Shea Charles
-
7
Ethan Galbraith
-
3
Justin Devenny
Forwards
-
16
Patrick Kelly
-
14
Isaac Price
-
10
Jamie Donley
Hungary team overview
Hungary prepares for this one on the back of a tough 1-0 home defeat against Ukraine. The Magyars suffered relegation from League A during the last Nations League cycle, following a Euro 2024 campaign where they exited in the group stage.
Marco Rossi’s men are desperate for a bounce-back result. Fortunately for them, they are carrying a solid run on the road, remaining unbeaten in their last three competitive away fixtures.
Captain Dominik Szoboszlai is the undisputed key figure. The Liverpool midfielder pulls the strings effortlessly, boasting five goal contributions across his last 6 international appearances.
However, the squad faces a massive setback as star striker Barnabás Varga was left off the roster entirely due to an injury problem. Honestly, Varga's absence leaves their frontline looking remarkably toothless, and they'll heavily rely on Szoboszlai’s individual brilliance to break through.
Last matches of Hungary
-
Hungary
0 : 1
Ukraine
UEFA Nations League
-
Hungary
3 : 1
Kazakhstan
Friendly International
-
Hungary
2 : 1
Finland
Friendly International
-
Hungary
0 : 0
Greece
Friendly International
-
Hungary
1 : 0
Slovenia
Friendly International
Hungary lineup
Goalkeeper
-
22
Balázs Tóth
Defenders
-
14
Bendegúz Bolla
-
6
Willi Orbán
-
3
Márk Csinger
-
11
Milos Kerkez
Midfielders
-
13
András Schäfer
-
15
Áron Csongvai
-
8
Milán Vitális
Forwards
-
10
Dominik Szoboszlai
-
23
Damir Redzic
-
16
Dániel Lukács
Prediction
This has 1-0 written all over it. Northern Ireland's defense is incredibly stubborn at Windsor Park, but losing Ballard completely guts their backline's composure. It's devastating. I honestly expect Marco Rossi to set up a tactical masterclass to exploit that exact weakness. Hungary will happily suffocate the tempo. Then, Szoboszlai produces a moment of pure magic to break the deadlock. It won't be pretty, but the Magyars grind out a narrow 1-0 away victory.
Four reasons we expect under 2.5 goals in this game
- Three of the last four meetings between Northern Ireland and Hungary.
- Northern Ireland have just two goals in their last five competitive matches.
- At least one side failed to score in three of the last five games of Hungary.
- All the last six competitive games of Northern Ireland finished with under 2.5 goals.
Main prediction Northern Ireland - Hungary
Under 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
22bet
1.57
Northern Ireland vs Hungary standings in UEFA Nations League
| Group 2 | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 - 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 2 | Northern Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 - 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Georgia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 4 | Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 1 | -1 | 0 |