Confidence is high, belief is building game by game, but can the Republic of Ireland put in another heroic performance just three days after an energy-sapping, high-octane victory over Portugal?
Ireland are in Budapest for their final World Cup qualifier and it proves to be quite the climax to a slow-burner of a campaign as both teams look to grab that runner-up place in Group F.
To the victor the spoils; not quite a place in next summer's North American tournament, but a ticket to the play-offs in March where that particular ticket might be punched.
Ireland have done it the hard way, dropping points in their first home game, before getting shocked in Yerevan by losing 2-1 to Armenia on a night when it looked like the quest was quashed before it had really begun.
The memorable win on Thursday night, beating Portugal 2-0, thanks to a Troy Parrott brace, kept Heimir Hallgrimsson’s dream alive.
And now they have an opportunity to make that aspiration a reality by securing a vital win in Hungary.
Recovery and the replenishment of energy levels have been the priority since the celebrations quickly died down at Lansdowne Road following Thursday’s incredible victory, and the focus quickly switched to Sunday afternoon.
Hallgrimsson lauded the medical team who will work round the clock to give the players the best chance of being at their optimum selves ahead of kick-off.
And the manager was using the pre-match training session at the Puskas Arena as a final check before he selects his side, and while nothing concrete could be assumed from the 15 minutes viewing time that the media are afforded, the entire squad were in attendance and appeared in high spirits.
Over 67,000 will be in attendance at the Puskas Arena and the staunch home support will be looking to rally their side to a victory.
Despite the fact that they only need a draw, there remains a slim – very slim – chance that Hungary could actually win the group should a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal fail to beat Armenia.
Armenia have caused problems for both Ireland and Hungary, yet Portugal made things look easy as they left Yerevan with a 5-0 victory and are unlikely to slip up at home – the two games kick off simultaneously.
Ireland will be quite happy to employ that low block once more should Hungary attempt to fly out of the blocks, and again look to exploit space in behind.
The ideal scenario for Hungary would be to replicate their start at Lansdowne Road and get comfortably ahead in the game and kill Ireland’s momentum and with it their World Cup hopes.
But Hallgrimsson’s side will prove a much trickier outfit than they faced in that opening game, and they are unlikely to see such success so early in the game.
Likewise, Hungary will not be so defensively naive when compared to Portugal’s display in Dublin, and they possess a similarly stout defence that is tough to penetrate.
The home side are unlikely to come out and play for a draw and let Ireland set the tempo as it really would not sit well with the local support, who will expect this team to deliver.
Ireland can certainly lower the decibel level by frustrating the Hungarian elite and if they can keep things tight, the crowd will grow restless, while frustration should also creep in on the pitch.
Hungary’s fear will be that Ireland have something to play for in the second half and with memories of the Dublin equivalent still relatively fresh in the memory, they will look to avoid a late Ireland charge at all costs.
Hallgrimsson admitted at the pre-match press conference that he could not be certain how Hungary will approach the game, however, he did echo his sentiments from the Portugal game where he said that weaknesses in the home side’s armoury have been identified.
"We always analyse every team and try to find some weaknesses. But on the day, will they be there? Sometimes it happens, sometimes not.
"You go in with a plan but you might need to change it in five minutes or whatever.
"We obviously will have done [analysis] before when we met them in Dublin and looked at every game they played since.
"We will always have some weaknesses in our minds, yes, and we will try to exploit them, yes."
Hungary manager Marco Rossi turned up the heat on the eve of the battle by saying that his side were ready for a physical, aggressive battle.
Hallgrimsson hinted that he was contemplating playing the same XI that started the Portugal game, and with no injuries or suspensions to consider, there is every chance that he will put trust in the same side to continue the quest to qualify.
Ryan Manning and Jayson Molumby missed that match through suspension and would certainly have been in his thoughts at the start of the window, but now both will likely have a watching brief from the start of the game.
Liam Scales proved a revelation in defence and in attack on Thursday night and he really is the embodiment of this Irish team with his honest endeavours and passion shining through.
And while Jack Taylor has yet to establish himself in the side, he put in a real shift on Thursday night, helping out in the engine room alongside Josh Cullen, and the Ipswich man should be ready to go again.
Hallgrimsson’s intention has always been to create a core of players that bring confidence and consistency to the performances and that continuity should definitely be in evidence on Sunday afternoon.
Hungary, of course, will be equally confident of getting the job done, and it sets up to be a really intriguing game between two fairly evenly matched sides.
On paper, there is a strong argument to suggest that the home side possess the most quality, and yet what Ireland unearthed on Thursday night could yet be worth its weight in gold, an in-form striker bursting with confidence.
Watch Hungary v Republic of Ireland in World Cup qualifying on Sunday from 1.00pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
