Republic of Ireland Women vs Hungary Women Preview
It’s game week five in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, and the Republic of Ireland Women host the Hungary Women’s National Team. With only two games left to go for the group stage, Ireland sit top of the table. They are hoping to continue their unbeaten run in League B, Group 1 of the Nations League.
The match takes place on Friday, December 1, at 7:30 PM. They play at Tallaght Stadium, the home of Shamrock Rovers. The 8,000-seater stadium will be a tough place for Hungary to get a result. However, as they sit one point above Northern Ireland in the division, they need a convincing performance this week to avoid a relegation playoff. With the Republic of Ireland guaranteed top of the table, nothing can change their automatic promotion into League A.
Republic of Ireland Women vs Hungary Women Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two sides have only faced off 11 times historically in soccer, but this is the second meeting in the UEFA Nations League group stage. Last time, Hungary was the host, as the teams met at the end of September 2023. Ireland proved too much to handle on the day, and the score finished 0-4. Two goals in the first half from the visitors forced manager Margret Kratz to make three changes at the break. However, even with fresh legs and a change in tactics, Hungary could not stop the Republic of Ireland.
The stats from the previous meeting show that the sides look evenly matched on paper. The Republic of Ireland women dominated the possession stats, 41% to Hungary and 59% to the visitors. But the attempts and shots on target were far closer than you would expect. Hungary managed nine shots in the 90 minutes. Three of the efforts were on target. The girls in green registered ten shots in the match, only five on target. In the match, the Hungarians took four corners and committed 13 fouls. Interestingly, the Republic of Ireland also committed 13 fouls but only took one corner.
Since 2007, the Republic of Ireland Women vs Hungary Women has only taken place 11 times. The Hungarians have won the fixture four times, most recently in 2016. Ireland has beaten Hungary five times in the last 16 years and the result has been a draw on two occasions. The teams drew 0-0 in 2017, the most recent meeting before the UEFA Nations League. However, given the recent form of Ireland in the group stage, a goalless encounter seems unlikely.
WNT select squad for UEFA Nations League games against Hungary & Northern Ireland.
First call-up for @peamountutd forward Ellen Dolan 👍#COYGIG pic.twitter.com/QfoDsBwBYl
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 23, 2023
Looking at the league table, this match is vital for Hungary. They sit second on the table, one point more than Northern Ireland, who play bottom of the table Albania. A win for Northern Ireland will take them two points clear of Hungary with only one game to play. The Republic of Ireland has a seven-point gap, and they are the only team in the division with a positive goal difference. They could lose both remaining matches and still finish in the automatic promotion spot in the group.
The next two matches are important for Hungary, Northern Ireland, and Albania, as the UEFA Nations League has a playoff system. The group winners will go straight into League A next time this tournament occurs. Second place will enter a playoff for a promotion spot against a third-placed team from the group above. Third in the group will also face a playoff game but against the second-placed side from the division below. Whoever finishes fourth this year will play in Group C when the competition happens again in two years. Any of the bottom three could face relegation or promotion, which is exciting news for anyone looking to experiment with online betting.
Republic of Ireland Women vs Hungary Women Predictions
The UEFA Nations League betting markets show there is a clear favourite this week. Ireland sits on top of the group by a significant margin, meaning an upset is not really on the cards. Betting on the home side to win after 90 minutes has odds of 1/6. That means a €10 wager on this market will return €11.67, including your stake. Wagering on Hungary to win has odds of 10/1, meaning you can ten times your stake if the away side is successful. A draw has odds of 24/5, which will return €58.00 from a ten-euro wager.
Ireland won 0-4 on the road last time they faced Hungary. However, the situation has changed. As impressive as the Irish have been in this competition, they no longer have anything to play for. Sure, they will try to win the game in front of their home fans, but the manager might look at giving new players a chance. After all, why risk your best players when you have an away game in Northern Ireland four days later?
We think the Republic of Ireland will win this match against Hungary, and they will do so with at least a two-goal margin. However, the Hungarians know how important a game this is. If they get on the scoreboard first, they could try to hold on to three huge points. We predict the final score will be 3-1 to Ireland with Hungary scoring before halftime.
If our prediction does not appeal to you, wait until the game starts before placing a wager. Live betting on this soccer match is a great way to reduce some of the risks involved. If you place a wager three days before kick-off, a key player could be rotated or pick up an injury. By waiting until the game is underway, you can avoid getting caught out by a manager trying to rest her best players. A good live wager to place on game day is on the next goal scorer, the result at halftime, or the next player to pick up a caution from the referee.
Republic of Ireland Women vs Hungary Women Betting Tips
Placing sports bets on soccer games is never easy. That is because betting on the favourite to win outright is not usually worth it, as you will receive poor returns. Instead, if you claim a welcome bonus, you must consider other soccer markets before deciding to place a wager. This can include an accumulator, where you combine the predictions of multiple matches for a more rewarding bet.
If you were to bet on Ireland to win regardless of the scoreline, you would be looking at odds of 1/6. However, if you choose the market for Ireland to win and both teams to score, the odds rise to 2/1. A €10 bet on this market will return €20 in profit, significantly more than the €1.67 from the outright market. Even if you did not think Hungary would score away from home, there are more rewarding soccer markets out there. If you bet against both teams scoring, you can get odds of 4/6. Once again, if this bet is correct, you are looking at considerably better returns.
You can always increase your profit by looking at more precise wagers. For example, betting on the correct score on the final whistle. Choosing 2-1 to the home side has odds of 15/2, which would yield €85 from a ten-euro wager. Soccer betting takes a lot of luck to come true, but that does not mean it’s hopeless. Instead, you need to balance the risk with the returns and only bet on something you are certain about. There is no point risking any money on a long shot in this soccer match.
Republic of Ireland Women Lineup
The Republic of Ireland interim head coach Eileen Gleeson announced her 26 players for the international break on November 23. The list included a call-up for 17-year-old Ellen Dolan from Peamount United. Dolan has been a revelation this season, scoring seven goals. Coach Gleeson also announced that she recalled Jessie Stapleton and Ruesha Littlejohn to the squad. Emily Whelan has pulled out, meaning Freya Healy gets the call-up to the senior national team.
- Ireland Women Predicted Lineup: C. Brosnan, C. Hayes, L. Quinn, D. Caldwell, K. McCabe, D. O’Sullivan, M. Connolly, T. Toland, R. Littlejohn, A. Larkin, and K. Carusa.
Hungary Women Lineup
Hungarian head coach Margret Kratz released her squad for the remaining two UEFA Nations League games on November 20. The team remains largely the same compared to the players fielded throughout the group stage. Kratz recalled Lilla Turányi following her absence in the game against Northern Ireland. The coach has experimented with different goalkeepers in the side, but the number one seems nailed on to start this Friday.
- Hungary Women Predicted Lineup: R. Szőcs, L. Kovács, H. Németh, L. Turányi, D. Németh, D. Zeller, H. Csiszár, E. Fenyvesi, V. Szabó, Z. Kaján, and E. Pápai.
