Ukraine look increasingly unlikely to secure automatic promotion to the top tier of the Nations League after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Hungary. The result leaves the Blue and Yellow side with just four points from four matches, while defeats against Northern Ireland and Hungary have seriously damaged their hopes of finishing at the top of the group.

The one bright spot from the opening phase of the campaign remains Ukraine's victory in Budapest in the opening fixture. The subsequent 0-3 defeat by Northern Ireland and Tuesday's loss to Hungary, however, have left the Ukrainians with little margin for error heading into the final stage of the competition.

There is nevertheless a positive side to this difficult run. Previous Ukraine managers were often criticised for relying too heavily on established internationals and giving limited opportunities to emerging talent. Andrea Maldera has taken a different approach, taking risks with new players and, in the process, gaining valuable information about the depth and potential of those performing in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Interestingly, Ukraine's second meeting with Hungary was arguably a better performance than the first. The paradox is that the Blue and Yellow side won in Budapest but lost this time around, despite producing several promising moments and coping with significant personnel problems.

Ukraine started brightly and came close to taking the lead as early as the 11th minute. Oleh Ocheretko struck from almost the edge of the penalty area, with his effort crashing against the crossbar before bouncing down on the goal line. Viktor Tsyhankov followed up but could only fire the rebound straight at the goalkeeper.

The hosts continued to threaten. Yehor Nazaryna sent a dangerous ball across the box towards Matvii Ponomarenko, whose clever back-heel attempt narrowly missed the post. At the other end, Anatoliy Trubin had relatively little to do before the interval as Hungary struggled to create clear-cut chances.

The 15-minute break, however, appeared to benefit the visitors far more. Hungary reorganised and immediately put Ukraine under pressure, registering three attempts early in the second half. One of them produced the breakthrough in the 52nd minute.

A major positional error opened the door for the visitors. Vitaliy played a perfectly weighted pass through the Ukrainian defence, allowing Milan Toth to move into the left side of the penalty area and calmly finish underneath Trubin.

Ukraine needed time to recover, but crucially avoided the collapse seen in the previous meeting, when Hungary quickly extended their advantage. The Blue and Yellow side even had an opportunity to respond almost immediately. In the 55th minute, Ponomarenko created a promising opening for Veleten, but the debutant hesitated too long before taking his shot.

The Ukrainian substitutions eventually added fresh energy to the attack, and the pressure finally paid off in the 83rd minute. Oleksandr Pikhalenok delivered a corner from the right, and Roman Yaremchuk rose highest to head the ball into the far corner and make it 1-1.

For a moment, it appeared that the momentum was firmly with Ukraine and that the hosts could go on to complete the comeback. Instead, Hungary struck again almost immediately. Taras Mykhavko allowed his opponent to get away down the flank, before a cross was sent into the heart of the six-yard box. With nobody marking him, Chinger had the simplest of tasks and fired past Trubin to restore Hungary's lead.

Four points from four games is not enough for Ukraine to be satisfied with the opening part of their Nations League campaign. Yet the coaching staff have gained something that could prove valuable in the long term: a much clearer picture of the squad's overall strength, including players from the domestic league rather than simply the established core based abroad.

UEFA Nations League 2026-27

Ukraine - Hungary 1:2 (0:0)
Goals: Tóth M., 52 (0:1); Yaremchuk, 83 (1:1); Csinger, 85 (1:2)

Ukraine: Trubin; Krupskyi; Mykhavko; Zabarnyi; Sarapiy; Tsygankov; Ocheretko (Pikhalonok, 70); Nazaryna (Varfolomieiev I., 87); Veleten (Khlan M., 60); Ponomarenko M. (Yaremchuk, 60); Krasnopir (Vanat, 60)
Substitution: Khlan M. (from 60); Vanat (from 60); Yaremchuk (from 60); Pikhalonok (from 70); Varfolomieiev I. (from 87)
Bench: Yermakov H.; Riznyk D.; Bondar V.; Drambaiev; Yarmolenko; Brazhko; Nazarenko Ol-r
Yellow Cards: Nazaryna 20

Hungary: Toth Ba.; Csinger; Osvath; Orban W.; Nagy Z.; Vitalis; Szoboszlai (Csongvai, 87); Schäfer (Tóth R., 72); Toth A. (Jurek, 61); Lukács (Szűcs, 61); Tóth M. (Szalai J., 72)
Substitution: Szűcs (from 61); Jurek (from 61); Tóth R. (from 72); Szalai J. (from 72); Csongvai (from 87)
Bench: Gundel-Takács Bence; Pécsi; Várkonyi; Markgráf; Bolla; Barany
Yellow Cards: Lukács 55; Tóth R. 78