Zalaegerszegi TE vs Puskás Akadémia Prediction & Betting Tips 01.05.2026

Zalaegerszegi TE host Puskás Akadémia on Friday evening in NB I, with both clubs still chasing a strong finish to the season and very little separating them in the table. Zalaegerszeg are fourth on 48 points, a position that keeps the pressure on the sides above them, while Puskás sit sixth on 42 and need points to stay in touch with the pack around the European places. This isn’t a dead rubber. Far from it.

There’s also a familiar edge to the fixture. These two have been trading blows for a while now, and the recent meetings have usually had a bit of bite to them. Zalaegerszeg came out on top in February’s reverse league meeting in Felcsút, winning 1-0, and that result will give Nuno Campos’s side a touch of confidence. Puskás, though, know they’ve already been through enough rough patches this spring to treat nothing lightly.

The home side arrive with a decent record at their own ground, and that matters here. Their overall season numbers are respectable enough, but Zalaegerszeg have been far stronger in front of their own supporters, where they’ve made plenty of chances and conceded far fewer than they do on the road. Puskás have been decent travellers too, which is why this feels like one of those games where the first goal could shape everything. You’d expect some chances. You’d expect some nerves too.

Zalaegerszegi TE Form & Analysis

Zalaegerszeg’s recent run has been a bit up and down, but there’s enough good in it to suggest they’re not drifting into this one. They beat Kisvárda 2-0 at home and Újpest by the same scoreline before hammering Kazincbarcikai SC 4-0 at home on 18 April. That was a proper statement. Then came a tougher stretch away from home: a 3-0 loss to MTK Budapest, a 1-1 draw with Budapest Honvéd in the cup, and finally last Friday’s 2-1 defeat at Nyíregyháza Spartacus, where they were in the game but couldn’t quite hold on.

That Nyíregyháza loss was a slightly frustrating one, because Zalaegerszeg did get on the scoresheet and created enough to make it competitive. They had 14 shots, six on target, and three big chances, so this wasn’t a case of being outplayed from start to finish. The problem was the same old one away from home: they left gaps, and they paid for them. Still, if you strip away the road wobble, the home form is what jumps out. At their own ground in NB I, they’ve collected 28 points from 16 matches, with eight wins, four draws and only four defeats. They’ve scored 29 and conceded 16 there. That’s strong. Very strong.

Campos will like the way his team have generally carried a threat at home, because they’re not reliant on one style to get results. They can press high and force mistakes, but they’re also capable of turning games into something more open and messy, where their attackers can work in space. The flip side? Zalaegerszeg have still had spells where the concentration drops, particularly when they’re asked to manage games after taking the lead. Their league position reflects a side that can beat anyone on the right day, but also one that hasn’t fully nailed down control. That’s why they’ve already drawn nine and lost nine overall. A bit of inconsistency hangs around them.

Puskás Akadémia Form & Analysis

Puskás Akadémia come into this off the back of a useful 2-0 home win over Újpest, and that should at least steady the mood after a rocky spell. Before that, they lost 1-0 at Paksi FC, went down 2-1 at Ferencváros, and were beaten 4-1 at home by ETO FC Győr. That was a nasty one. They did win 2-1 away at Diósgyőr earlier in April, and a 1-1 draw with Debrecen had already hinted that they can still be hard to shake at times, but the general picture is still patchy. Too patchy to trust fully.

Zsolt Hornyak’s side have the sort of record that says they can travel, but not always with comfort. Their away record is 7 wins, 3 draws and 6 defeats, with 20 goals scored and 18 conceded. That’s better than a lot of teams outside the top three, and it tells you they’re not cowed on the road. Still, the recent away results have been messy. They’ve lost at Paksi and Ferencváros, both by a single goal, which suggests they’re competitive enough, but not quite sharp enough in the big moments. Can they put together a calm 90 minutes here? That’s the question.

Puskás also have a habit of starting slowly away from home, which is where the danger lies in a venue like Zalaegerszeg’s. They’ve often been forced to chase games, and that opens the door for the opposition to find space. Even in defeat, they haven’t tended to fold completely, but the margins are thin. Their overall league record of 12 wins, six draws and 13 losses sums them up neatly: dangerous, inconsistent, and never entirely secure. Mind you, the attack isn’t toothless. They’ve scored 38 goals overall, and when they get into rhythm they can move the ball well enough to hurt teams who switch off.

Head-to-Head

These two have had a surprisingly lively run of meetings over the past couple of seasons. Zalaegerszeg beat Puskás 1-0 in Felcsút in February, which followed Puskás’s 1-0 win in Zalaegerszeg back in October. Go a little further back and the pattern gets more open: Puskás won 2-1 in March 2025, Zalaegerszeg responded with a 4-2 home win in November 2024, and the visitors also took a 2-1 victory in August that year. There’s been no shortage of close games.

That’s part of the appeal here. The home side have won the last away meeting, the away side have won at this ground before, and neither club has really owned the fixture for long. One trend does stand out, though: Zalaegerszeg have often found a way to score first in this matchup, and that gives them an early edge if they come out well. One goal can change the whole feel of it.

We Predict: Both Teams To Score

We’re backing Both Teams To Score at 4/5 for this one. It’s the cleanest angle in a game that looks too balanced to trust a straight match result, and the numbers around both clubs point in the same direction. Zalaegerszeg have scored in four of their last six, and their home record suggests they’re almost always good for a chance or two. Puskás, for all their inconsistency, still carry enough attacking quality to nick a goal even when they’re not at their best.

The projected 1-1 scoreline fits the shape of the game nicely. Zalaegerszeg’s strong home base should keep them in it, but Puskás have the road threat to land a blow of their own, especially after a confidence-boosting win over Újpest. A 2-1 home win wouldn’t shock anyone, yet the safer read is that both sides get on the board and neither quite does enough to pull clear. If you want a second angle, under 10.5 corners has a decent recent H2H angle, but BTTS is the main play here.