Republic of Ireland vs Hungary predictions and betting tips – A stalemate could be on the cards

The Republic of Ireland and Hungary will kick off their World Cup qualifying campaigns when they clash in Dublin on Saturday night. 

Also in Group F is Portugal and Armenia. So with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portuguese the red hot favourites to top the group, this match already carries huge significance for both Ireland and Hungary in the battle for a top two finish.

Republic of Ireland vs Hungary best bets

• Draw – 43/20 with BetMGM 
• Under 2.5 goals – 5/8 with 247Bet 
• Dominik Szoboszlai to score anytime – 11/4 with Tote

Republic of Ireland vs Hungary odds

Find the latest Republic of Ireland vs Hungary betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

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Ireland vs Hungary predictions

Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has the task of leading his team to their first World Cup finals since 2002 in Japan and South Korea. 

Hallgrimsson has had a mixed start to life in charge of the Irish. Despite a 5-0 loss to England at Wembley, the Icelandic head coach’s team retained their place in League B of the Nations League – meaning the Boys in Green will enter their World Cup qualifying campaign off the back of some positives. 

However, it’s not all good news for Hallgrimsson and his team. 

Ireland lost at home and away to England and Greece in their Nations League campaign. Although, they did complete the double over Finland, putting them into the Nations League playoffs, which they comfortably won 4-2 on aggregate against Bulgaria.

This tells us a lot about Ireland’s current standings in world football. Ranked at 60, Hallgrimsson’s team are way off elite level, meaning any prospect of challenging Portugal for top spot in the group can almost already be forgotten. 

Ireland’s most likely route to the 2026 World Cup is by finishing second in their group and qualifying through the playoffs. This is why their opening match against the Hungarians is already key to their chances of success.

Along with Ireland, Hungary are joint-second favourites at 7/1 to win Group F with BetMGM. 

Marco Rossi’s team are ranked 38 in the FIFA rankings, and they can also boast Premier League talent of the calibre of captain Dominik Szoboszlai and his Liverpool teammate Milos Kerkez.

But, the Hungarians don’t arrive in Dublin in the best of form. They have managed just three wins in their last 14 internationals. 

Their poor run includes elimination at the group stage of Euro 2024 and relegation from League A in the Nations League. Rossi’s team were in a tough group alongside Germany and the Netherlands, but their 6-1 aggregate loss to Turkey in the playoffs will have done nothing to lift confidence and change the mood.

Both nations have been in friendly action in the summer. The Irish were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Senegal at the beginning of June. They followed that up with a poor 0-0 draw away to struggling Luxembourg.

Hungary didn’t do great either. They began their back-to-back June friendlies with a 2-0 home defeat to Sweden. However, they can take some comfort from a 2-1 win away to Azerbaijan in their second match.

Ireland vs Hungary betting tips

The odds are suggesting the bookies are expecting a tight contest at the Aviva Stadium. BetMGM have Ireland as their slight favourites, but it’s pretty clear that this is down to home advantage and the Hungarians will be clear favourites when the reverse fixture takes place. Our match betting tips follow:

Another Aviva stalemate on the cards

Ireland secured a credible 1-1 draw with Senegal when they last played at the Aviva Stadium in early June. 

Kasey McAteer was Ireland’s scorer on the night. But after going into an early lead, the Irish sat back a bit too much, surrendering the possession, and almost making Senegal’s late equaliser inevitable.

It’s hard to see Heimir Hallgrimsson changing course too much, if at all, for the visit of Hungary. The Icelandic coach knows it is almost a must win game, but it is also a one hundred percent ‘don’t lose’ fixture. 

Hungary may well have recorded a morale boosting win over Azerbaijan in their last outing. But confidence is still going to be low after their awful recent run. 

The Hungarians will know if they can avoid defeat in Dublin, they can secure second place with a win in the return fixture when it takes place in November on the final Group F matchday. 

This makes a Dublin stalemate look all the more likely.

Bet on the draw at 43/20 with BetMGM

Goals likely to be in short supply

The Boys in Green have managed just eight goals in their last ten international fixtures. Furthermore, they have only scored a maximum of two goals in three of those ten matches and they have also managed to draw a blank five times. 

In a further blow, the in-form Troy Parrott is out injured. 

So along with both teams possibly prepared to settle for a draw, there is a very good chance this match won’t have too many goals.

Back under 2.5 goals at 5/8 with 247Bet

Will we see another Szoboszlai special?

Can anybody not see Dominik Szoboszlai grabbing the ball to take any free kicks Hungary get near the Ireland penalty area? 

After his wonder strike against Arsenal, the Liverpool man will be keen to also make his mark for his national team.

Furthermore, Szoboszlai has a more than respectable record of 16 goals in his 55 appearances for his country (along with six assists). 

He is also the Hungary captain and leads his team by example. So don’t be shocked if he gets on the scoresheet against the Irish.

Dominik Szoboszlai to score anytime at 11/4 with Tote

Ireland vs Hungary predicted lineups

• Ireland expected lineup: Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, O’Shea, Manning; Johnston, Cullen, Knight, Azaz; Idah, Ferguson.
• Hungary expected lineup: Dibusz; Nego, Orban, Szalai, Kerkez; A. Toth, Schafer, Szoboszlai; Lukacs, Varga, Sallai.

Where to watch Republic of Ireland vs Hungary

• Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland.
• Date and time: Saturday 6th September, 7.45pm.
• How to watch: Amazon Prime PPV.

More World Cup qualifiers predictions

If you’re after more FIFA World Cup qualifier predictions over the dreaded international break, check out our match preview centre for our latest football betting tips.

About the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)

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