Northern Ireland made the perfect start to Group B2 in the Nations League, pouncing late with an injury-time winner in Georgia, and they will be hoping to follow up against Hungary at Windsor Park.
Shea Charles was the hero in Tbilisi, grabbing the decisive goal nine minutes into injury-time to cap off a stellar performance, while his brother Pierce was equally influential in goal, saving a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia penalty.
Northern Ireland were promoted after winning UEFA Nations League Group C3 last time around and their performance in Georgia was further evidence that their youthful squad could make a much brighter future.
Another stern test awaits against Hungary, who are bidding to respond to a 1-0 defeat at home to Ukraine.
With Liverpool duo Milos Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai in action for the visitors, they have some elite quality at their disposal, but they will be coming up against a determined defence.
Northern Ireland v Hungary Tips Summary
Best Bet - Northern Ireland draw no bet @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Under 1.5 goals @ 6/4
Bet Builder - Under 2.5 goals, Shea Charles 1+ shots on target & Willi Orban 1+ shots @ 23/5
Northern Ireland v Hungary Prediction
Best Bet: Northern Ireland draw no bet @ 10/11
Northern Ireland's stock is certainly on the rise and, with Shea Charles, Justin Devenny, Isaac Price and Patrick Kelly coming through the ranks, they are in a place to progress.
That was evident in the 1-0 win in Georgia, where they defended resolutely and got the goal their performance deserved in the final moments.
At Windsor Park, Northern Ireland are a tough nut to crack and Germany are the only team to have beaten them in their last ten home games.
Hungary's only two away victories in their last six attempts have come in Armenia and Azerbaijan and they may not improve upon Friday's 1-0 defeat at home to Ukraine, when they managed only four shots on target.
The Irish have kept eight clean sheets in their last ten home games and they could frustrate their opponents before snatching another winner.
Alternative Bet: Under 1.5 goals @ 6/4
The missing piece in the jigsaw for Northern Ireland may be a genuine number nine and, as a result of a lack of focal point, they tend to be embroiled in cagey contests.
Only two of their last 15 fixtures at home have gone over 2.5 goals and four of the last five have featured exactly one goal, with them recording three 1-0 wins.
When these last met in an international friendly in Belfast in 2022, Hungary edged it 1-0 and this could be another encounter settled by fine margins.
Northern Ireland v Hungary Bet Builder Tip
Under 2.5 goals
Shea Charles to have one or more shots on target
Willi Orban to have one or more shots
Pays 23/5
There have been two or fewer goals in eight of Northern Ireland's last nine matches and this is unlikely to buck the low-scoring trend.
Fulham summer signing Shea Charles shone brightly in the win in Georgia and carried a serious scoring threat, registering five shots with his winning strike one of two shots on target.
Key to breaking up the play, Charles is also motivated to get in on the action in the final third and he can register another shot on goal.
Having no Dan Ballard in the heart of defence is a big blow for the hosts and may give RB Leipzig's Willi Orban the chance to pounce at set-pieces.
Orban had four shots in the loss to Ukraine and he already has two goals in six appearances for his Bundesliga side this season.
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Key Match Stats
Northern Ireland have won eight of their last ten home games, keeping a clean sheet in each success
Under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in eight of Northern Ireland's last nine matches
Both teams have scored in only two of Northern Ireland's last nine fixtures
Hungary have won only two of their last six away fixtures
Four of the last five meetings between these sides have gone under 2.5 goals
Four of Northern Ireland's last five home games featured only one goal
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
