Ukraine vs Hungary – News and Probable Lineups

In their upcoming UEFA Nations League clash, Hungary aims to seek retribution against Ukraine as they meet at City Arena Trnava on Monday.

The Blue and Yellow are eager to recover from their recent defeat, while the Magyars are seeking to secure consecutive victories.

Match overview

Ukraine, under the leadership of Andrea Maldera, started their Nations League campaign impressively but has faltered in their subsequent two matches.

The Blue and Yellow claimed a 1-0 win against Hungary on September 25, with Danylo Sikan netting the decisive goal shortly before halftime.

This victory marked Maldera’s first competitive triumph since he took over in May, yet it remains his only one up to now.

Ukraine were held to a frustrating goalless draw with Georgia three days after their win over the Magyars, and then suffered a 3-0 defeat against Northern Ireland on Friday.

Despite dropping four points in their last two games, the nominal hosts remain second in Group B2, but this match is critical as both teams are currently level on points.

On the other hand, Hungary has gradually improved in the Nations League, contrasting sharply with Ukraine’s recent form.

The Magyars’ initial defeat to the Blue and Yellow ended a four-match unbeaten streak, where they scored six goals while conceding only two.

However, under Rossi’s management, they secured their first point with a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland three days later, followed by a 1-0 victory over Georgia at Puskas Arena on Friday.

Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez scored the only goal in Budapest, which was also Hungary’s first of the Nations League so far.

Looking to build on this slight success, the visitors will be encouraged by their solid away form, which includes five matches without defeat and consecutive clean sheets ahead of this fixture.

Team News

Ukraine will be without forward Danylo Sikan on Monday, as he is serving a suspension due to accumulated yellow cards, but Roman Yaremchuk is expected to take over the striker role.

Additionally, defender Mykola Matviyenko is also suspended because of his yellow-card tally, while left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko is unavailable due to injury.

In their absence, Maldera might opt for a back four consisting of Valeriy Bondar, Ilya Zabarnyi, Eduard Sarapiy, and Bogdan Mykhaylichenko.

As for Hungary, they will miss left-back Milos Kerkez, who has been suspended after receiving a yellow card against Georgia, with Akos Markgraf likely to feature in his place on Monday.

On the opposite flank, right-back Bendeguz Volla is dealing with an ankle issue, so Attila Osvath is anticipated to step into the right back position for the visitors.

Moreover, winger Damir Redzic is recovering from his own ankle problem, but Zsolt Nagy is set to support striker Milan Toth from the left, with Daniel Lukacs on the right flank.

Ucrânia probable starting XI:

Riznyk; Bondar, Zabarnyi, Sarapiy, Mykhaylichenko; Brazhko; Yarmolenko, Ocheretko, Tsygankov, Sudakov; Yaremchuk

Hungria probable starting XI:

Toth; Osvath, Orban, Csinger, Markgraf; Schafer, Szoboszlai; Lukacs, A Toth, Nagy; M Toth

While Ukraine began their Nations League campaign with a commendable victory against Monday’s opponents, they have faced challenges since then and will need to work hard to prevent further defeats.

Hungary is poised to edge this contest with a narrow win, though given they have scored just once in their past three matches, a high-scoring encounter appears unlikely.