World Cup qualifiers: Can Armenia vs. Portugal be aware of this dish? Can Ireland vs. Hungary’s declined wealthy families regain their glory?

World Cup qualifiers: Armenia vs Portugal

Match time: September 7, 2025 00:00

Preface: The peak test of the plateau away game, Portugal aims to advance to the 2}

The key battle of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers will be launched at the Yerevan Republic Stadium. Armenia's home match against Portugal is not only a confrontation with huge strength, but also a life-and-death battle related to the prospect of promotion. As a traditional giant, Portugal has firmly ranked first in the group with a lineup of 854 million euros. Although Armenia ranks 68th in the world, it has tried to create an upset with the "physical black hole" effect at the plateau home court (1,000 meters above sea level) and the tactical adjustments of the new coach Van Shep. In the historical confrontation between the two teams, Portugal maintained a total victory and averaged 2.8 goals per game, but Armenia's defensive resilience of only 0.7 goals in its last three home games may add suspense to this game. If Portugal can win with a two-goal advantage in this game, it will not only continue its unbeaten qualifiers, but will also lock in the initiative to advance. Armenia can only continue its hope of qualifying if it is a fight against the enemy.

The team's recent situation: Portugal's stars shine, Armenia's offense and defense are imbalanced

Portugal: The perfect combination of dual-core drive and wing blast

Under the leadership of head coach Robert Martinez, Portugal has achieved 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in the last 10 games, showing strong dominance on both ends of offense and defense. The midfield consists of Manchester United core B Fee (48 goals in 80 games) and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitina (91% pass success rate). The former is good at direct passes and infiltration and set pieces, while the latter is good at precise long passes and midfield interceptions. On the front line, although the 39-year-old Ronaldo has transferred from Manchester United to Riyadh to win, his condition is still hot. He has scored 5 goals in this qualifier, just one step away from the national team's 130th goal milestone. The wing configuration is luxurious: AC Milan winger Leo teared the defense with his breakthrough ability of 2.3 per game, while Chelsea winger Neto became a counterattack weapon with his speed advantage. On the back line, Manchester City central defender Ruben Dias and Benfica star Antonio Silva have a solid combination. The former has a success rate of 78% for the top of the high altitude, while the latter makes up for the gap on the wing with excellent back-chasing speed. It is worth noting that right-back Dalot withdraws from the roster due to a muscle strain, and Lazio full-back Nuno Tavarez's substitute may become a hidden danger to the defense line.

Armenia: The dilemma between defensive counterattack and set piece tactics

Armenia has only 2 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses in the last 10 games, and the offensive and defensive imbalance is prominent: 7.2 shots per game but only scored 3 goals (conversion rate 4.2%) on the offensive end, the main forward Milanion's final success rate in the penalty area is only 19%; on the defensive end, he became the second worst team in Europe with averaging 2.5 goals per game. The new coach Van Shep adopts a 5-4-1 formation, trying to compress the middle space through dense defense. The double midfielder Ugochuku Yiwu and Tigran Barseyan averaged a total of 4.8 steals per game, but the problem of large wings has never been solved. Settings are Armenia's only offensive highlight - central defender Haroyan's header success rate reached 78%, and 2 goals from settlings in the last 3 games. However, facing Portugal's cross from the wing and infiltration from the middle, Armenia's defense will be under tremendous pressure, especially the speed disadvantage of right-back Hof Hannisyan may be completely defeated by Leo.

Game prediction analysis: Portugal blossoms at multiple points, and the plateau cannot resist the promotion at home. Tactical game Portugal's wing crush and Armenia's set-piece gambling

Portugal is expected to continue using a 4-3-3 formation, creating crossing opportunities through the wing breakthrough of Leo and Neto. The double striker combination of Ronaldo and Gonzalo Ramos in the middle will focus on the air defense loopholes of Armenian central defenders Haroyan and Qian Charevic. Martinez may adopt the tactic of "dual-core drive + wing blast": B Fee and Vitina control the rhythm in the midfield, Leo and Neto cut into the penalty area from the left and right respectively, while Ronaldo was ambushed near the penalty spot to complete a fatal blow. Armenia will shrink its defense line to the 30-meter area, using wingback Hof Hannisyan's forward pass (2.1 crosses per game) and Haroyan's header to create a threat. However, this tactic has a fatal flaw - insufficient interception ability in the midfield (6.8 steals per game) may lead to premature exposure of the defense line, and the combination of Portuguese midfielders Vitina and Palinia will effectively cut off Armenia's counterattack propulsion line.

Key Confrontation: Leo vs. Hof Hannisyan's speed duel

game is likely to appear on Portugal's left. Leo has averaged 3.4 breakthroughs per game in AC Milan this season, and his pace frequency advantage and direction change ability have become nightmares for opponents' defense. Armenian right-back Hof Hannisyan is trapped by his age and physical fitness, and his turn speed is obviously insufficient, and he has been broken through 17 times in the last three games. Once Leo makes a breakthrough on the wing, his two-pass and one-way cooperation with B Fee or a direct cross will directly threaten the Armenian goal. In addition, Portugal's set-piece tactics are also worthy of attention: the central defender combination composed of Ruben Dias and Antonio Silva faces Armenia's high-altitude balls, the head clearance success rate can reach 82%, while the loopholes in Armenia's set-piece defense (40% of the goals conceded in the last three set-pieces) may become a fatal shortcoming.

Portugal wins

Combining the strength comparison between the two sides and the tactical restraint relationship, Portugal is expected to win away with a three-goal advantage. Armenia's defensive system will collapse completely under Portugal's wide impact and midfield penetration, and its reliance on set-piece tactics will be difficult to break through Portugal's high-altitude barrier. Although the plateau home court may delay Portugal's offensive rhythm, Martinez's rotation strategy (such as replacing Ruben Neves with strengthening the ball after 60 minutes) and the team's deep lineup depth are enough to offset this disadvantage. After this game, Portugal will advance as the top spot in the group, while Armenia will need to seek miracles in subsequent matches.

World Cup qualifiers: Ireland vs Hungary

Match time: September 7, 2025 02:45

Preface: The life and death position match in Dublin Green Field, Ireland is aiming to advance to the 2}

The key battle of Group F of the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers will be launched at the Eviva Stadium in Dublin on September 6 local time. The showdown between Ireland and Hungary at home can be regarded as a microcosm of the "playoff qualification battle". Currently, Ireland is temporarily ranked third in the group with 19 points, while Hungary follows closely with 13 points. Both teams need to grab points in the remaining schedule to compete for the initiative in advance. Ireland has achieved a strong record of 4 wins and 1 draw in the last five home games, with a home winning rate of up to 80%, while Hungary has only won 2 away games in its last 10 away games and has conceded 2 goals per game. In terms of historical confrontations, Ireland has remained unbeaten in 1 win and 2 draws against Hungary in the last three times, with a significant psychological advantage. If Ireland can score three points with home advantage in this game, it will greatly consolidate its playoff qualification; and if Hungary is upset away, it may rekindle hope of advancement.

The team's recent situation: Ireland's offense and defense imbalance is to be solved, Hungary's defense has many loopholes

Ireland: The tactical reliance on midfield control and wing impact

Ireland has achieved 4 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses in the last 10 games, scored 8 goals on the offensive end but conceded as many as 15 goals, and the problem of offense and defense imbalance is prominent. Midfielder Jeff Hendrick is still the team's operation hub. He averaged 60 passes and a success rate of 80% in the 2025 European League match against Bulgaria, showing accurate scheduling capabilities. Although the forward combination Michael Obafemi and Adam Idah have the advantage of speed, they have only contributed 5 goals in the last 10 games, with a conversion rate of less than 15%. The defense line is paired by Shane Duffy and John Egan. The two headers and clearance success rate in the 2024 European Cup qualifiers reached 78%, but they made frequent assisted defense mistakes in the face of high-intensity pressure recently, resulting in the opponent's counterattack 4 times in the last five games. It is worth noting that the main right-back Callum O 'Dowda missed the roster due to a knee injury, and Josh Cullen, who came on the bench, may become a hidden danger to the wide defense.

Hungary: Sholoi is unable to support it, goalkeeper Dibuz is unable to support it alone

Hungary has only 2 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses in the last 10 games, and has been in trouble on both offense and defense: 7 goals on the offensive end but averaging only 8.2 shots per game. Although Roland Sallai, the main striker, contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in Freiburg, Bundesliga this season, has only scored 1 goal at the last 5 games, and lacks stable finishing ability. In the midfield, the two midfielders Attila Szalai and Mihály Kata have insufficient interception capabilities, with only 4.5 steals per game, making it difficult to block the opponent's offensive propulsion line. The defensive end problem is particularly serious. Although the main goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz made 7 saves against Germany in the 2024 European Cup group stage, he conceded 20 goals in the last 10 games, 6 of which came from set pieces. The air defense error rate of the central defender Attila Sauloy and Tamás Nikitscher was as high as 35%. In addition, right-back Attila Osváth has a clear disadvantage in turning speed, with 12 breakthroughs in the last three games, which may become the key target for Irish wing impact.

Game prediction analysis: Ireland makes efforts at home, Hungary is difficult to stop the promotion pace

Tactical game Ireland's wing blast vs Hungary shrinks defense. Ireland is expected to use a 4-3-3 formation, creating a cross opportunity through the wing breakthrough of Ida on the left and Obavemi on the right. The double midfielder Hendrik and Karen's combination is responsible for cutting off Hungary's counterattack propulsion line. The head coach may adopt the tactic of "midfield control + cross from the wing": Hendrick controls the rhythm in the middle, Ida and Obafemi cut into the penalty area from the left and right respectively, and Duffy, who was ambushing near the penalty spot, took advantage of his height advantage (193cm) to complete the point. Hungary will shrink its defense line to the 30-meter area, relying on Sauloy's personal breakthrough and Dibuz's goal line save to create a threat, but this tactic has fatal flaws - insufficient interception ability in the midfield may lead to premature exposure of the defense line, while Ireland's set-piece tactics (40% of the set-piece goals in the last 5 games) may directly defeat Hungary's high-altitude defense.

Key Confrontation: The winning and losing hand of Ida vs. Oswat's speed duel

is likely to appear on the left side of Ireland. Ida has averaged 2.8 breakthroughs per game in Norwich this season, and his pace frequency advantage and direction change ability have become nightmares for opponents' defense. Hungarian right-back Oswat was trapped by his age and physical fitness, and his turn speed was obviously insufficient, and he had been broken through 12 times in the last three games. Once Ida makes a breakthrough on the wing, his two-pass and one-way cooperation with Hendrik or a direct cross will directly threaten the Hungarian goal. In addition, Ireland's set-piece tactics are also worthy of attention: the central defender combination composed of Duffy and Egan, when facing Hungary's high-altitude balls, the head clearance success rate can reach 82%, while the loopholes in Hungary's set-piece defense (40% of conceded goals in the last three set-pieces) may become a fatal shortcoming. Based on the strength comparison between the two sides and the tactical restraint relationship, Ireland is expected to win at home with a two-goal advantage. Hungary's defensive system will collapse completely under Ireland's wide impact and midfield penetration, and the personal ability it relies on is difficult to break through Ireland's intensive defense.