Türkiye and Hungary will battle for a coveted spot in UEFA Nations League’s top tier as they meet Thursday in the first leg of their promotion/relegation playoff at Istanbul’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.
Türkiye fell just short of automatic promotion from League B4, finishing second with 11 points – one behind group winners Wales.
Vincenzo Montella’s squad entered the final matchday in pole position but suffered a costly 3-1 defeat against Montenegro, forcing them into a playoff showdown with Hungary.
Now, the Crescent-Stars are eyeing back-to-back promotions, having climbed from League C in the 2022-23 campaign.
A victory over two legs would secure their first-ever berth in League A.
The home form remains their stronghold – Türkiye are unbeaten in their last eight Nations League matches in front of their own fans (W5, D3), though they will be mindful of their last home loss in the competition: a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in September 2020, sealed by Dominik Szoboszlai’s late strike.
Hungary, meanwhile, finished third in a tough League A3 group behind Germany and the Netherlands.
The Magyars managed just one win in six games, recovering from a 5-0 hammering by Germany to take five points from their next three matches.
A heavy 4-0 loss to the Dutch on matchday five dented their hopes, but Szoboszlai’s late penalty in a 1-1 draw against Germany ensured they finished clear of Bosnia and Herzegovina, avoiding direct relegation.
Marco Rossi’s squad must now overcome Türkiye across two legs to extend their stay in League A for a third straight campaign.
History favors Hungary, who are unbeaten in five meetings with Türkiye (W4, D1) since 2007, including a 1-0 victory in March 2024.
However, Hungary have struggled offensively, scoring more than once in just one of their last nine internationals.
The visitors will also be without veteran midfielder Adam Nagy, who has been omitted despite recently returning to action for Spezia.
Instead, Rossi has called up four uncapped players: goalkeeper Krisztian Hegyi, defender Attila Osvath, and midfielders Alex Toth and Balint Vecsei.
Türkiye will be without key players due to injuries and suspensions.
Goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, defenders Çağlar Söyüncü and Ferdi Kadıoğlu, and forward Enes Unal are all sidelined.
Additionally, Merih Demiral and Arda Güler will serve one-match bans after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament against Montenegro.
Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu will captain Türkiye as he inches closer to a milestone – just five appearances shy of 100 international caps.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Szoboszlai, who returns to action following Liverpool’s EFL Cup final defeat, aiming to add to his three goals in the 2024-25 Nations League.
