Europa League: Fradi snatch farewell win

Europa League, Group G, Round 6:
Ferencváros 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) (HT: 0-0)
Goalscorer: Laidouni (82)
Ferencváros: Dibusz - Botka, Blazic, S. Mmaee, Kovacevic - Laidouni, Loncar (Vienna, 81) - Zachariassen (Somalia, 70) - Zubkov (Cabraja, 88), Uzuni, Nguen (46)
Bayer Leverkusen: Lunyev - Recosz, Kossounou, Tapsoba (Tah, 46), Sinkgraven - Aranguiz (Frimpong, 71), Palacios (Andrich, 63) - Amiri - Bellarabi (Diaby, 71), Alario (81), Paulinho.

There was no longer anything riding on this match because regardless of the result, it was certain that the German team would finish first in the group and the Hungarian champions would finish fourth and last. The green-and-whites started resolutely, and created the first goalscoring opportunity. Leverkusen also played open football, so an entertaining battle developed, opportunities arising for both sides.

Ferencváros threw themselves into the fight even more energetically in the second half, but the final pass at the end of their promising attacks always seemed to be lacking. Leverkusen's quick counter-attacks were also dangerous and Fradi goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz had several big saves to make to ensure his team didn't fall behind. The visitors’ misses came back to haunt them in the 82nd minute when Laidouni’s header from a corner finally put Peter Stöger's in sight of victory, which they duly secured after seeing out the remaining minutes without conceding. Ferencváros thus won their first three points of the group stage in their final fixture of the campaign, but they will still finish in fourth, behind Glasgow Celtic who now drop into the European Conference League, and Bayer Leverkusen and Real Betis who finish first and second respectively and therefore progress to the Europa League knockout stages.