Georgia vs Hungary: Match Preview, Predictions and Betting Tips
Published on Thursday, 12 November 2026 by Steve
Georgia vs Hungary Prediction & Betting Tips - 14 November 2026
UEFA Nations League 2026-27 - League B Group 2 Prediction & Betting Tips
Match Overview
UEFA Nations League 2026/27 League B: Hungary vs. Georgia-Xinhua
Group B2 of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League reaches its decisive phase on Saturday 14 November 2026 when Georgia host Hungary at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi (21:00 local time). With just two matchdays remaining, the stakes could hardly be more different for the two sides. Hungary arrive in the Georgian capital second in the group on seven points, knowing that a victory will guarantee them at least a promotion play-off spot, while Georgia sit bottom with two points and are still searching for their first goal of the entire campaign. Northern Ireland and Ukraine meet in Belfast at exactly the same time, so neither team will know the other result until the final whistle. You can follow every twist of the final matchdays with our daily football predictions for today, and our earlier Northern Ireland vs Hungary prediction shows just how tight this group has been from the very first whistle.
The home side are enduring a miserable Nations League campaign by their recent standards. The Crusaders, who thrilled Europe at Euro 2024 and won promotion through the Nations League pathway, have collected just two points from four matches - a goalless draw with Ukraine in Tbilisi and another 0-0 in Belfast against Northern Ireland - and were beaten 1-0 at home by Northern Ireland and 1-0 away in Budapest by Hungary. Perhaps more painfully, Ramaz Svanadze's men have not scored a single goal in 360 minutes of group football. If you study how recent form predicts football matches, Georgia's numbers - two goals scored and two conceded across their last four fixtures, all of them low-block stalemates - scream of a side that simply cannot find the net without its talisman. You can dig deeper into their slump in our matchday analysis, because the absence that has defined this campaign leads us to the biggest team news of the international break.
That absence is, of course, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgia captain and Paris Saint-Germain superstar ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Champions League win over Barcelona on 20 October and underwent successful surgery in Doha a week later, ruling him out for the remainder of the season - including both of Georgia's November fixtures. Hungary, by contrast, travel with the calm continuity of Marco Rossi's long project. The Magyars responded to an opening home defeat by Ukraine with a disciplined 0-0 in Belfast and back-to-back wins over Georgia (1-0) and Ukraine (2-1) to take control of their own destiny. Readers who like to weigh up matches through the lens of the market should read our European 1X2 betting analysis guide alongside this preview, because the decimal odds for this fixture tell a fascinating story about how little separates a wounded home favourite from a pragmatic away side in Tbilisi.
Tactical Preview
Nations League: Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary the latest side to draw blank against Northern Ireland in Belfast - BBC Sport
Formation & Key Matchups
Georgia 3-5-2
Ramaz Svanadze, promoted from the federation's coaching set-up after Willy Sagnol's departure in 2026, has retained the back-three identity that served Georgia so well at Euro 2024. Expect Giorgi Mamardashvili behind a back three of Lasha Dvali, Luka Lochoshvili and Saba Goglichidze, with Otar Kakabadze and Irakli Azarovi supplying width as wing-backs. The midfield trio of Giorgi Kochorashvili, Anzor Mekvabishvili and Giorgi Chakvetadze must compensate for the lost creativity of Kvaratskhelia, with Georges Mikautadze and Budu Zivzivadze leading the line. Georgia's problem is not structure but incision: they have averaged under three shots on target per game in this group phase, and Hungary's compact block will happily cede possession to a side that looks short of ideas in the final third.
Hungary 3-4-2-1
Marco Rossi has built his reputation in Budapest on a disciplined 3-4-2-1 that morphs into a 5-4-1 out of possession. Balazs Toth keeps goal behind Willi Orban, Attila Szalai and Milos Kerkez - three centre-backs with well over 150 caps between them - while Bendeguz Bolla and Zsolt Nagy operate as wing-backs. Callum Styles and Andras Schafer screen in front, freeing Dominik Szoboszlai and Roland Sallai to drift between the lines behind lone striker Barnabas Varga. The system has produced just three goals in four Nations League games, but it has also conceded only twice. Our deep dive into the strongest football formations in the modern game explains exactly why Rossi's three-at-the-back template travels so well in tight, low-margin fixtures like this one.
Critical Vulnerability
Georgia's critical vulnerability is self-inflicted and psychological: with Kvaratskhelia out, Mikautadze marked out of games and no goal in four matches, the home side are playing with visible anxiety in the final third. Hungary's vulnerability is the opposite - an over-reliance on Szoboszlai to produce magic, with Varga starved of service away from Budapest. If Georgia score first, Hungary have shown little evidence in this campaign that they can chase a game on the road.
Team News & Squad Status
Georgia 🟡🔴🟡🟡🟢
- Out: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (torn ACL, surgery in October - out for the season) is the devastating headline absence for the November window.
- Out: Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz) withdrew through injury and was not replaced in the midfield.
- Retired: Record caps holder Guram Kashia (129 appearances) ended his international career in June 2026 and has joined the coaching staff.
- Saba Lobzhanidze and Vladimer Mamuchashvili have not been recalled; Nika Gagnidze (Kolos Kovalivka) was added to the squad on 9 November.
- Giorgi Mamardashvili (Liverpool) is fit and starts in goal, as he has throughout the campaign.
- Georges Mikautadze (Villarreal) has gone four group games without a goal and is under pressure from Budu Zivzivadze for the striking berth.
- Head coach Ramaz Svanadze has managed three games since taking permanent charge: two 0-0 draws and a 1-0 defeat - all without scoring.
Hungary 🟢🟢🟡🟢🟡
- Out: Bence Varkonyi (Qarabag) withdrew injured after being named in Rossi's initial selection for the double-header.
- Attila Szalai (Pogon Szczecin) returns to the squad after recovering from the knock that disrupted his autumn club form.
- Three uncapped players were named in the squad announced on 3 November, including goalkeeper Armin Pecsi (Hartberg).
- Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) captains the side and remains the creative heartbeat with 18 international goals.
- Milos Kerkez (Liverpool) - the match-winner in October's 1-0 victory over Georgia - is fit and available at left centre-back or wing-back.
- Roland Sallai (Galatasaray) and Barnabas Varga (AEK Athens) form the most experienced forward pairing in the group.
- Mark Csinger (Groningen) scored the late winner in the 2-1 victory over Ukraine in October and is pushing for a starting role.
Predicted Lineups
| Georgia 3-5-2 | Hungary 3-4-2-1 |
|---|---|
| GK: Mamardashvili | GK: B. Toth |
| CB: Goglichidze | CB: Orban |
| CB: Dvali | CB: Szalai |
| CB: Lochoshvili | CB: Kerkez |
| RWB: Kakabadze | RWB: Bolla |
| LWB: Azarovi | LWB: Zs. Nagy |
| CM: Kochorashvili | CM: Styles |
| CM: Mekvabishvili | CM: Schafer |
| AM: Chakvetadze | AM: Sallai |
| ST: Mikautadze | AM: Szoboszlai |
| ST: Zivzivadze | ST: B. Varga |
Head-to-Head Record
These two nations have met only three times in their history, and the series is older than most of the players on the pitch - with one very fresh exception. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, the sides traded emphatic home wins: Hungary crushed Georgia 4-1 in Budapest in June 2001, only for Georgia to gain sweet revenge with a 3-1 victory in Tbilisi that September. Then, on 2 October 2026 at the Puskas Arena, the teams met for the first time in 25 years, and a 35th-minute strike from Liverpool full-back Milos Kerkez decided a tight, tactical contest 1-0 in Hungary's favour in front of more than 52,000 fans. That result extended Hungary's unbeaten run against the Crusaders and set up this return fixture perfectly.
The most remarkable statistic in this fixture, however, is that neither side has ever shared a draw. Every single meeting between Georgia and Hungary has produced a winner - and yet everything about the current form of both teams points towards stalemate for the first time. Georgia's last four competitive matches have produced two 0-0s, and Hungary's away games in this group have produced a single goal. High-scoring shootouts are simply not part of the identity of either side right now, which is why our draw prediction page has rarely carried a stronger recommendation than it does for this fixture in Tbilisi.
Key Players Comparison
Georges Mikautadze - Georgia
The Villarreal striker is Georgia's undisputed attacking reference in Kvaratskhelia's absence: 23 goals in 47 caps, joint-top scorer in Georgia's history alongside the injured captain. Euro 2024's joint Golden Boot winner has the movement and penalty-box craft to trouble any back three - but he has drawn a blank in all four Nations League games and is playing under the weight of an entire nation's creative burden. If Georgia are to score their first goal of the group phase, it will almost certainly come through him.
Dominik Szoboszlai - Hungary
Hungary's captain and Liverpool playmaker is the one genuine world-class talent on show in Tbilisi. With 18 goals in 69 internationals, Szoboszlai carries Hungary's transition play, set-piece threat and final-third imagination. Georgia's wing-backs will be pinned back for long spells simply by his presence, and one moment of his trademark long-range quality could decide a match that otherwise has 0-0 written all over it.
The supporting casts matter just as much. Giorgi Mamardashvili in Georgia's goal has kept clean sheets in half of the group's matches and is arguably the in-form goalkeeper of the entire window, while Milos Kerkez scored the winner in October and gives Hungary a dual threat in build-up and attack. The duel between Mamardashvili and Szoboszlai - shot-stopper against playmaker - is where this game will be won or lost, and it is a major reason we expect so few goals. For a full explainer on why keeping the ball out of the net shapes betting markets so strongly, see our piece on what a clean sheet means in football.
The Managers
Ramaz Svanadze (Georgia)
Svanadze's appointment in 2026 ended Willy Sagnol's five-year spell and handed the former Dinamo Tbilisi boss - who had a brief caretaker stint in 2020 - the task of rebuilding Georgia's identity after a painful World Cup qualifying campaign and a summer of transition. His start has been defensively solid but blunt: two goalless draws and a narrow defeat in three matches in charge.
The Georgian public remains patient because Svanadze has prioritised organisation while integrating the post-Kashia, post-Kvaratskhelia generation. Against Hungary he faces a tactical puzzle: how to add attacking thrust without abandoning the structure that has kept Georgia competitive. His decisions on the bench - particularly whether to unleash the likes of Zuriko Davitashvili and Giorgi Tsitaishvili - could define his early reign.
Marco Rossi (Hungary)
Rossi is now one of the longest-serving national team coaches in Europe, having transformed Hungary from relegation candidates into serial Nations League promotion contenders since 2018. His methods - meticulous set-piece preparation, a compact mid-block and absolute tactical discipline - have become the Magyars' trademark, and his handling of the September setback against Ukraine showed his experience.
The Italian has also modernised the squad around a spine of Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Galatasaray talent. With his contract situation beyond 2026 a constant topic of speculation in Budapest, Rossi will be determined to deliver promotion back to League A on his own terms - and a win in Tbilisi, a venue where Hungary have never played a competitive match, would be a landmark result in his eight-year project.
Betting Predictions & Tips
Odds: 1.72 (European)
The strongest angle on this match is the total goals market. Georgia have failed to score in all four Nations League games and have gone over 2.5 goals in just one of their last eight matches in all competitions. Hungary's away fixtures in this group have produced a combined total of one goal in 180 minutes. With the best European bookmakers pricing Under 2.5 at around 1.72, this is the anchor of our betting card. Our complete over/under predictions page applies the same logic across every major league this weekend.
Odds: 3.26 (European)
A stalemate at 3.26 offers outstanding value given that a draw satisfies neither side but suits both defences. Georgia's two home games in this group produced one goal in total, and Hungary played out a 0-0 in Belfast in almost identical circumstances. History says these teams never draw - but form says a first-ever shared result is the most likely single outcome. It is the value play of the round in League B. Compare prices across operators with our guide to comparing football odds across markets before placing your stake.
Odds: 1.68 (European)
Georgia have failed to find the net in four consecutive Nations League matches, and at least one side has failed to score in eight of their last ten fixtures. Hungary, meanwhile, have kept a clean sheet in three of their four group games and travel with their first-choice back three intact. At 1.68 in European format, "No" on the BTTS market is one of the most statistically robust picks available anywhere in the November international window. Our dedicated GG/NG (BTTS) predictions page tracks this market daily across Europe's competitions.
Odds: 8.50 (European)
Our model's most likely exact outcome is a goalless draw, priced at a generous 8.50 with European bookmakers. Georgia have already played out two 0-0 draws in this group phase, Hungary were held 0-0 away to Northern Ireland, and neither attack arrives in any kind of rhythm. The 0-0 correct score at 8.50 implies barely a 12 percent chance - our own probability assessment puts it closer to 17 percent, making it a clear overlay. See how we price exact outcomes on our correct score tips page.
Odds: 2.55 (European)
For a smaller-stakes option, the first-half draw market offers an attractive speculative play at 2.55. Both of Georgia's home group games were 0-0 at the interval, Hungary have not conceded a first-half goal away from home in this campaign, and cagey starts are a hallmark of every Svanadze and Rossi fixture so far. Pair it with the full-time draw for a HT/FT double if you are chasing a bigger return. Our beginner's guide to understanding football odds markets explains how to combine these selections safely.
📊 Final Score Prediction
Match Analysis
We are predicting a 0-0 draw - the first stalemate in the history of this fixture. The case is built on cold, hard numbers: Georgia have scored zero goals in four Nations League matches, have not beaten Hungary since 2001, and have just lost the one player capable of conjuring something from nothing to a season-ending ACL injury. Even at home, in front of a passionate Tbilisi crowd, this is a side that looks structurally sound but creatively bankrupt. Hungary will be organised, patient and content to wait - Rossi's teams never force games on the road, and with a promotion play-off within touching distance, there is no reason for the Magyars to take risks. Expect long spells of Georgia possession against a Hungarian mid-block, sporadic Szoboszlai set-piece threats, and a second half that opens up only slightly as Georgia chase the win they desperately need.
The crucial caveat is motivation: Georgia must win to have any chance of climbing off the bottom of Group B2, while a point does almost nothing for either side. That desperation could make the final twenty minutes surprisingly open - but with Hungary's defensive record (two goals conceded in four games) and Mamardashvili in inspired form at the other end, we still cannot see either attack finishing its chances. If you prefer a safety-first approach to the result market, our double chance predictions page covers the alternative angles, and our draw no bet predictions explain how to insure a stake on a fixture like this one.
Key Insights & Statistics
- Georgia are the only team in League B yet to score a goal this season - four games, zero goals, two points, bottom of Group B2.
- Hungary have conceded just two goals in four Nations League matches and have kept three clean sheets in the group phase.
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered against Barcelona on 20 October 2026 - Georgia's captain and talisman will miss both November fixtures.
- The teams have never drawn in three previous meetings: Hungary have won twice (including 1-0 in October 2026), Georgia once (3-1 in 2001).
- Hungary have never played a competitive match at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium - Georgia won their only previous home meeting 3-1 in 2001, albeit at a different venue era.
- Milos Kerkez scored the only goal when the sides met in Budapest on 2 October 2026; the Liverpool defender is fit to feature again.
- Both of Georgia's home games in this group (0-1 vs Northern Ireland, 0-0 vs Ukraine) finished with one or zero goals scored in total.
- Hungary will secure at least a promotion play-off place with victory, while Georgia must win to keep alive any realistic hope of avoiding the relegation play-offs.
Conclusion
Georgia vs Hungary is a fixture shaped by absence and pragmatism in equal measure. The Crusaders are a proud footballing nation playing above their historical weight, but without Kvaratskhelia they look like a team running on structure alone - and structure, as this preview has shown, rarely beats discipline when the stakes rise. Hungary, under one of Europe's most experienced international coaches, have mastered the art of the controlled away performance, and they will arrive in Tbilisi believing that patience will be rewarded just as it was in October.
Our final score prediction is 0-0, supported by the strongest goals-unders trend anywhere in the November window: Georgia's four-game scoring drought, Hungary's miserly away record and two managers who prize defensive organisation above all else. The recommended betting card - Under 2.5 goals at 1.72, the draw at 3.26, BTTS No at 1.68 and the 0-0 correct score at 8.50 in European odds - reflects that analysis from every angle. If you build accumulators, consider this fixture as the defensive anchor of your weekend slip alongside our banker of the day and bet of the day selections.
Whatever happens under the Tbilisi floodlights, the return match in this group - Northern Ireland vs Ukraine in Belfast - kicks off at the same time, so Group B2 will go down to the final matchday on 17 November regardless. Follow every minute with our live scores centre, check back on matchday morning for our updated daily predictions, and as always: gamble responsibly, stake only what you can afford to lose, and treat every prediction - including this 0-0 call - as informed opinion rather than certainty.
