Hungary host Turkey in the second leg of the UEFA Nations League playoff at the Puskas Arena, trailing by two goals from the first leg. In a bid to overturn the deficit, the hosts may adopt an attacking approach, which could leave them exposed defensively.
The hosts head into this match after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg on Thursday. Marco Rossi’s side now face a tough challenge to avoid relegation to League B, having won just once in seven Nations League games and losing two of their last three.
Defensive problems remain a major concern, failing to keep a clean sheet in four of their last five matches, conceding nine goals in that run. Their home record remains suspect, with Marco Rossi’s men winless in their three UNL matches in front of their fans.
Turkey were fully deserving of the win in the first leg and are now within touching distance of promotion to the top tier. Vincenzo Montella’s men are now unbeaten in five of their last six UNL matches, claiming four wins in that run.
The Turks have won just two of their last five Nations League away games, stretching back to 2022, although a 4-2 victory over Iceland in December is among their recent results. That outcome highlights some high-scoring results lately, with their last two away matches producing over 2.5 goals.
How the bookies view it: Closely fought contest
The bookies appear split on this one with a win for Hungary priced at 6/4 by BoyleSports, who are also offering odds of 13/8 for a Turkey victory. A draw is valued at 11/5 on BoyleSports.
Head to head: Slight edge for Hungary
Hungary have a 5-4 edge, with two draws from 11 previous matches against Turkey. Prior to the 3-1 first-leg defeat, the Hungarians had won the previous three fixtures.
Players to watch: Reliable Akturkoglu
Kerem Akturkoglu is Turkey’s top scorer in the Nations League with five goals and could be the one to watch. The forward was on target in the first leg and is priced at 5/2 with BoyleSports to find the net once again.
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored three of Hungary’s five goals in the competition. He also scored in two of his last four appearances against Turkey and is worth considering to score anytime at 5/2 with BoyleSports.
Probable line-ups
While Marco Rossi might tweak his tactics a little, the line-up is expected to remain unchanged from the first leg. Dominik Szoboszlai, Milos Kerkez and Barnabas Varga are all set to retain their place in attack.
Turkey have no injury worries and should field the same line-up from the first leg. Goalscorers Orkun Kokcu, Kerem Akturkoglu and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu are all expected to feature in attack.
Hungary: Dibusz, Orban, Fiola, Dadai, Nagy, Schafer, Nikitscher, Bolla, Kekez, Szoboszlai, Varga
Turkey: Cakir, Ayhan, Akaydin, Bardakci, Elmali, Aydin, Calhanoglu, Kokcu, Akturkoglu, Yildiz, Yilmaz
Anything else catch the eye?
Seven of Turkey’s last 10 competitive games saw both teams score, and with four of the last six meetings against Hungary, producing the same outcome, a repeat is priced at 7/10 with BoyleSports. Three of their last four matches have produced over 2.5 goals which is priced at 20/21 on BoyleSports.
All three Nations League meetings between the two sides have produced halftime draws, and this trend can be tipped to continue at evens with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Nations League match between Hungary and Turkey will be played on and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Hungary vs Turkey prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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