Hungary vs Armenia Prediction for 12 October 2025 - Football

🔊 After the September World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Armenia have unexpectedly transformed from underdogs into playoff contenders. Over the past six months, the national team have seen three coaching changes, with only the latest appointment, Egishe Melikyan, delivering the much-anticipated results. On October 11, his squad face a challenging away fixture in Budapest at the Puskás Arena. Hungary are direct rivals for the second spot in Group F. Let's delve into our editorial's prediction to assess which team holds greater potential for a World Cup berth.

Head-to-Head

📊 The teams have not faced each other before.

Hungary Team Overview

Hungary, under the guidance of Marco Rossi, have had a mixed start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. On one hand, the Hungarians have been unusually prolific for the Italian manager's style, scoring four goals in two matches. On the other, they have shown unexpected defensive instability. This combination has earned them just one point, secured through a draw with Ireland in Dublin (2-2). Hungary built a two-goal lead before halftime but conceded early in the second half and were reduced to ten men shortly after. Their slim advantage slipped away in stoppage time. In their home clash with Portugal, they also squandered a lead, eventually trailing behind. Although they managed to level the score, the "European Brazilians" pushed through at the end to win (3-2).

The key figures for Hungary during the last international break were all local stars, with Barnabas Varga leading the way. The 30-year-old forward found the net three times over two matches, twice against Portugal. Roland Sallai also added his name to the team's top scorers' list by netting against Ireland. The forwards were assisted by Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) and Callum Styles (West Bromwich).

Armenia Team Overview

The Armenians have finally put an end to their coaching carousel. Egishe Melikyan is now the third head coach of the national team in just six months. The previous coach lasted only four matches. Melikyan took charge right before the World Cup qualifiers, and so far, the decision seems to be paying off. Yes, Armenia suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at home to Portugal, but they then pulled off a surprising victory against Ireland with a 2-1 scoreline. And it was well-deserved: the Caucasians were more aggressive in attack, registering 15 shots to Ireland's 8, and they outperformed their opponents in expected goals (xG), with 2.45 compared to 0.8.

Just like Hungary, Armenia's key players stepped up. The standout performer against Ireland was Eduard Spertsyan, who scored from the penalty spot. The winning goal came from Borussia Mönchengladbach's new forward, Ranos Grant-Leon. While he is primarily coming off the bench for his club, he recently netted his first goal in a thrilling 6-4 match against Eintracht. Another hero of the Ireland match was Nair Tiknizyan, a Crvena Zvezda defender who provided the assist for Grant-Leon’s decisive goal.

Latest news

Hungary

🎙 The head coach of the Hungarian national team shared his thoughts on their defeat to Portugal. "I believe we demonstrated solid defensive organization, although at times we played too deep and passively. Of course, when the opponent controls the ball 70 percent of the time, you end up doing a lot of running and chasing, which isn't easy. We made several attempts to maintain possession, build attacks from the back, and created many intriguing opportunities, but ultimately, Portugal are Portugal," said Marco Rossi.

❌ Hungary will be without their main striker Barnabas Varga in the upcoming match. He is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. His clubmate and the national team's first-choice goalkeeper Denes Dibusz will miss the qualifying cycle due to injury.

Armenia

🎙 Armenia's head coach shared his thoughts on his team's performance in the September cycle of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. "Please, don't criticize and hurt us too harshly, especially after the match against Portugal. We are a team facing challenges, and it's easy to criticize and belittle the players from the outside. Only the strong stay united and see it through to the end. After that game, many supported and believed in us, which helped me a lot. Before the match, I said that our country and our people need a victory, and we achieved it. Let's enjoy this win," said Yeghishe Melikyan.

❌ Forward Edgar Sevikyan has left the national team camp due to injury. The newcomer to Akron scored his debut goal in the latest round of the Russian Premier League. He is also a former Ferencvaros player and is well-acquainted with Hungary's home stadium. This loss will be significant for the team.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Chris Kavanagh (England). In the Premier League, he averages 3.6 yellow cards over his last 20 matches. The last five encounters involving the Hungarians have been much more heated than those with the Armenians, averaging 5.4 yellow cards compared to their opponents' 2.6. We believe this level of intensity won't be unfamiliar to the English referee, given his experience in the world's most competitive and fiercely contested league. Nonetheless, the teams are likely to surpass a total of over 3.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

As observed in the September international fixtures, Hungary's defense is far from flawless. They have conceded goals in five consecutive official matches. Considering the absence of their main goalkeeper and the recent form of the visiting team's attack, a bet on an Armenia goal seems highly probable.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Armenia boasts a strong midfield, with two of their four midfielders—Eduard Spertsyan and Iwu Ugochukwu—playing in the Russian Premier League. This suggests a high level of cohesion in the midfield. We expect the Caucasians to not sit back too much and to create opportunities in the opponent's half. They have consistently earned more than 2.5 corners in eight consecutive away matches. We recommend placing a bet on this outcome. Our prediction: Armenia total corners over 2.5.

It's too early to declare that the Armenian national team has emerged from their crisis, but there are certainly signs of improvement based on their match against Ireland. Hungary, on the other hand, are experiencing a downturn, at least in terms of results, having gone seven consecutive official matches without a win. Adding to their woes are significant personnel losses, which are likely to impact them even at home. Acknowledging the difference in class between the opponents, we still expect the visitors to at least find the net once. However, their defensive instability will likely prevent them from keeping a clean sheet as well. We foresee an exchange of goals, leading to a final score of 2-1 in favor of Hungary. Editorial choice: both teams to score (yes).