MTK claim draw in Youth Champions League opener

Photo: mtkbudapest.hu

MTK Budapest 1-1 Zrinjski Mostar (HT: 0-0)

Last season's U19 league champions MTK Budapest started their UEFA Youth Champions League campaign with first-round first-leg fixture at home against Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia. Two of their starting lineup, Mihály Kata and Ákos Zuigeber, will be members of Hungary's forthcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup squad while a further three players, Benedek Varju, Péter Törőcsik and Máté Kovács, will represent Hungary men's U19s in this month's European Championship qualifying mini-tournament.

It was perhaps no surprise then that, on home soil, MTK dominated much of this match, but they couldn't convert that dominance into goals in a first half littered with missed opportunities to score. The visitors capitalised by taking a second-half lead but Mihály Kata's 79th-minute equaliser was the least the hosts deserved and they nearly found a winning goal in added time, but the scoreline remained at one goal each, which leaves the tie very much in the balance ahead of the second leg in Mostar on 23rd October.