Puskas Academy vs Zalaegerszegi TE Prediction

Puskas Academy vs Zalaegerszegi TE prediction: tight game

The Puskas Academy vs Zalaegerszegi TE prediction for February 8, 2026 (14:00 GMT) brings us to the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút, where the Hungarian NB I season (often labeled the Fizz Liga in some 2026 coverage) serves up a meeting that usually feels like football’s version of a chess puzzle. One wrong move, and you spend the rest of the afternoon trying to explain it.

Setting the scene: form, table, and why it matters

Puskás Akadémia come into this round sitting 5th with 31 points from 20 matches, and their recent run has been a little bumpy but still productive: three wins in their last six league games, capped by a narrow 1–0 result against Újpest. ZTE, meanwhile, are 7th on 27 points and arrive with their own 1–0 win, this time away at Kazincbarcikai SC.

What makes Zalaegerszegi interesting is that their season has leaned against the usual home-and-away logic. They have collected more points on the road (15) than at home (12), which is not something you see every weekend in NB I. Still, the Pancho Aréna is not the friendliest place for mid-table visitors, even with its small capacity. It is intimate, loud, and has a way of making away teams feel like they are playing in someone’s living room.

Tactics, coaching, and the players who shape the match

On the touchline it’s Zsolt Hornyák for Puskás versus Nuno Campos for ZTE. Hornyák, recently extended until 2027, usually sets Puskás up in a disciplined 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. The key idea is defensive order first, then quick transitions, often through the wings. For that approach to work, Puskás need their creators to find the right moments, not just the loud ones.

That brings us to two names. Dániel Lukács has been the finisher-in-chief with 11 league goals, and Palkó Dárdai has grown into a creative hub since arriving in mid-2025. But there’s also a small warning label: Roland Szolnoki, Artem Favorov, and Ákos Markgráf are each one yellow card away from suspension, which can quietly change how hard a team presses and tackles.

ZTE under Campos have leaned into a more fluid, possession-based style, and their improved away form fits that idea. A fun extra detail: their defenders continue to get individual coaching from former France international William Gallas, which is probably helpful—if only for the stern look that says, “yes, you will track that runner.”

• Injury focus: ZTE’s top scorer Alen Skribek (7 goals) is reportedly sidelined with a broken foot, pushing João Victor and Bence Kiss (4 goals each) toward bigger roles.
• Suspension watch: András Csonka sits on four yellows for ZTE, another reason this may stay controlled rather than chaotic.
• Puskás fitness: M. Kern (ankle) remains a longer concern, while P. Stronati (shoulder) has returned to limited training.

Head to head trends and the usual “low total goals” story

This fixture tends to be tight. Six of Puskás’s last ten games and ZTE’s last three have gone under 2.5 total goals, and the broader head to head history is balanced: 10 wins each and 6 draws across 26 meetings. Even the most recent meeting on 2025-03-16 finished 2–1 to Puskás, which counts as “high scoring” by the standards of this match-up.

Betting odds and NerdyTips AI picks

The current betting odds price Puskás as slight favorites: 1.95 for a home win, 3.75 for a draw, and 3.9 for an away win. That lines up with squad value too—Puskás at €12.62m versus ZTE at €6.57m—though football enjoys laughing at spreadsheets whenever it gets the chance. Just ask Puskás, who drew 1–1 away at Ferencváros on 2025-05-03 despite being priced around 5.0, or ZTE, who won 0–1 away at Győr on 2025-11-21 at odds of 6.0.

Still, our main angle is the scoreboard. The top NerdyTips selection is under 3.9 total goals at odds of 1.42, with a 7.1/10 confidence rating (also listed as 7.2 in the under/over model update). The 1X2-style safety play is 1X at 1.32, though confidence there is lower (1.95), suggesting the model sees a narrow home edge but not a comfortable one.

Expected match script from the numbers

Possession is forecast almost even (51% Puskás, 49% ZTE), with shots similarly close: 12 for the home side and 13 for the visitors. On target projections are 4 vs 5, corners are split 4–4 (8 total), and cards lean slightly toward ZTE (1 yellow for Puskás, 2 for ZTE). Put together, it reads like a careful match where both teams have moments, but neither gets a long, easy spell.

So, the final Puskas Academy vs Zalaegerszegi TE prediction leans toward a measured home performance and a low-scoring outcome: expected full-time score 1–0, with 0–0 at half-time. If you are looking for the most logical path through this game, under 3.9 goals fits the tactics, the trends, and the way these two usually treat goalmouth drama as an optional extra.