Will the Magyars pass the test?
The European World Cup Qualifiers Group F should have been a done deal by now. However, thanks to Ireland’s unexpected 2-0 home win over Portugal on Thursday evening, the Hungarian team now faces a real final. If Hungary beats Ireland and the Boys in Green win away, Heimir Hallgrímsson’s team will have achieved a miracle by climbing from third place to second and qualifying for the playoffs.
On the one hand, Hungary must avoid a home defeat at all costs. On the other hand, there is now an unexpected chance that the 1938 and 1954 World Cup runners-up could overtake Portugal with a home win, although Portugal have a home game against underdogs Armenia, in which anything other than a clear home win would be another huge surprise. Because we therefore assume that the Magyars will play very defensively in order not to risk anything, we recommend the match combo on the double chance 1X with under 3.5 goals.
It is clear that the Irish must play for a win in Budapest. This, in turn, should give the Magyars the space they need for counterattacks, which can be exploited by players such as Barnabás Varga, who scored four of Hungary’s nine goals in Group F. This could well lead to a home win. Marco Rossi’s team already had a taste of the three points against the Irish in the first leg, but squandered a 2-0 lead late on while down to ten men (final score: 2-2).
Hungary – Ireland Head-to-head record
Head to head: 5 – 7 – 3
There have been 15 international matches between the two nations so far, and with seven draws already, Hungary narrowly leads the head-to-head record with five wins (three defeats). Currently, however, the Magyars have been waiting for another win against Ireland for four matches (three draws, one defeat). They came close in the first leg when they took an early 2–0 lead in Dublin, but after a red card against Sallai, they played with one man down for almost an entire half and ultimately conceded a 2–2 draw in stoppage time.
Hungary – Ireland Tip
Although Ireland’s 2-0 win over Portugal is impressive, our prediction for Hungary vs. Ireland is that the Magyars will win, which would secure their place in the playoffs – and with a home win and a possible slip-up by Portugal against Armenia, they could even aim for top spot in the group. After all, the two-time World Cup runners-up are fundamentally good defenders, which is why only one of their last six international matches ended in defeat (three wins, two draws).
It will certainly be in the Magyars’ interest to keep the game as calm and low-scoring as possible, which makes a goal fest in Budapest unlikely. The Irish also prefer to play defensively, and it’s no coincidence that they have kept a clean sheet in two consecutive international matches. We therefore recommend the combined tip on the double chance 1X with under 3.5 goals.
