Marco Rossi admits Hungary was lucky to beat Ukraine 2-1
Hungary secured a 2–1 victory against Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League B division on October 5, 2026, at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia, evening the score after an earlier 1–0 defeat in Budapest, according to reports from 24.hu and Nemzeti Sport Online.
Match Statistics and First-Half Struggles
Playing in front of 9,414 spectators under Croatian referee Igor Pajac, the Hungarian side struggled to find rhythm early on. Index.hu reported that Ukraine dominated possession in the opening 20 minutes, pinning the visitors deep in their own territory. Ukrainian attacker Oleh Ocheretko tested goalkeeper Balázs Tóth in the 11th minute with an 18-meter shot that struck the goalpost. Head coach Marco Rossi admitted in his post-match press conference, as covered by 24.hu and Csakfoci, that his team failed to deliver the ball into the attacking third during the first half and suffered physically against a high-intensity opponent.
To cope with a squad depletion caused by Milos Kerkez serving a yellow-card suspension, Rossi deployed Zsolt Nagy at left-back and slotted Milán Vitális into the central midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and András Schäfer, M4 Sport noted. Despite tactical adjustments, Hungary lost numerous one-on-one duels before the break.
Márk Csinger Scores Late Goal to Secure Victory
The tactical tide turned in the second half. Milán Tóth broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, netting his first goal for the national team despite Rossi admitting he had been on the verge of substituting him. Ukraine equalized in the 83rd minute when Roman Yaremchuk headed in a corner kick past defender Bence Osváth following a set-piece from Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, as detailed by Nemzeti Sport Online and Index.hu.
The decisive moment arrived two minutes later. In the 85th minute, substitute Márk Csinger scored his maiden international goal to seal the 2–1 win. Rossi acknowledged the role of good fortune in the victory, stating that a draw or an Ukrainian win would have been an equally fair reflection of the match.
Hungary Reaches Seven Points Before Georgia Match
With this result, Hungary holds seven points after four matches in the Nations League B group, recovering from an opening loss to Ukraine and a scoreless draw against Northern Ireland, alongside a 1–0 win over Georgia, according to M4 Sport tracking. The team relies heavily on core players who logged nearly full minutes, including captain Dominik Szoboszlai, Willi Orbán, and András Schäfer.
The campaign continues on November 14, 2026, when Hungary travels to Tbilisi to face Georgia in the fifth round of fixtures.
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