Ferencváros defeat Debrecen, Videoton lead table on goal-difference

Videoton 4-0 Mezőkövesd Zsóry (3-0) 
Goalscorers: Lazović (7’, 66’), Henty (16’), Šćepović (36’)

Videoton cruised to a 4-0 victory over Mezőkövesd at the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút to edge past Ferencváros at the top of the table on goal-difference. Danko Lazović got them on their way with as early as the seventh minute with a fine direct free-kick which curled and dipped into the top-corner. Eleven minutes later he played provider, setting Ezekiel Henty clear of the defence to slot past former Vidi-man Tomáš Tujvel.

Marko Šćepović squandered a great opportunity to score a third on the half-hour, contriving to send his shot over the bar from six yards out, but he redeemed himself nine minutes before half-time, steering a Lazović cross from the right into the net from close-range. Lazović completed the scoring midway through the second half, sweeping into the net from a Šćepović pass after Vidi had broken at pace following a Mezőkövesd corner.

Diósgyőri VTK 1-2 Balmazújváros (1-1) 
Goalscorers: DIÓ: Karan (31’); BAL: Tamás (20’), Arabuli (94’ penalty)

Hosts Diósgyőr had won three in a row coming into the match against Balmazújváros but it was the visitors who came away with the three points courtesy of a late penalty from Bachana Arabuli.

Balmazújváros defended resolutely, opting to hit their opponents on the counter-attack and coming close on a number of occasions before eventually taking the lead in the 20th minute via a set-piece. Sándor Vajda’s free-kick evaded Botond Antal and Dejan Karan’s attempted headed clearance deflected off László Tamás on its way into the net. Diósgyőr levelled eleven minutes later, and again the goal came from a set-piece, Roland Ugrai’s free-kick being headed home by Karan as he quickly made amends.

There was no further scoring before half-time, and with the second half proving short of clear-cut chances the game appeared to be petering out for a draw until an injury-time counter-attack saw Ante Batarelo’s shot come crashing off the crossbar and Arabuli’s goalward header from the rebound blocked by the arm of Zoltán Lipták. Referee Ádám Farkas duly sent-off the Diósgyőr defender, and Arabuli dispatched the resultant penalty which sees Balmazújváros move out of the relegation zone.

Vasas 0-1 Újpest (0-0) 
Goalscorer: Novothny (68’)

Újpest won by a solitary second-half goal scored by Soma Novothny in this Budapest derby played in Dunaújváros due to reconstruction work at Vasas’ Illovszky Stadion. Novothny had twice tested Vasas keeper Ľuboš Kamenár, first in the firth minute and then just after the hour, but found the net in the 68th minute as he met a Donát Zsótér pass to fire high into the net from six yards out. The victory, Újpest’s first in five, sees the Lilák move up to eighth in the table ahead of Puskás Akadémia, whilst Vasas now lie a place and a point ahead in 7th with 19 points.

Ferencváros 2-1 Debreceni VSC (0-0) 
Goalscorers: FER: R. Varga (58’), Priskin (60’); DEB: Jovanović (84’)

Ferencváros brought Debrecen’s unbeaten run of nine matches to an end in front of 19,125 spectators at the Groupama Aréna, all the goals in a 2-1 home victory coming in the second half. The visitors had begun strongly, but with Ferencváros gradually coming into the match Fernando Gorriarán came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 32nd minute, his left-foot volley from the edge of the box seeing Sándor Nagy scramble across his goal to claw the ball to safety.

Ferencváros took control of the match with an hour gone. First, they took the lead in the 58th minute, Roland Varga scoring his thirteenth of the season after Tamás Priskin’s shot was saved by Nagy and Böde’s follow-up had been blocked on the line by Norbert Mészáros. Two minutes later they doubled their lead, Priskin scoring with an overhead kick after a Varga corner-kick had broken off Stefan Spirovski and into his path. Debrecen got a goal back with six minutes left to play; former Ferencváros man Aleksandar Jovanović the first to react as the ball fell to him in the box. The victory sees Ferencváros neck and neck with Videoton at the top of the table, second by one on goal-difference, whilst Debrecen slip seven points off the pace.

Haladás 1-2 Paks (0-0) 
Goalscorers: HAL: M. Tóth (91’); PAK: Bartha (82’), J. Szabó (86’)

Paks got back to winning ways with a hard-fought victory against a Haladás side which is now winless in six games. There was little in the way of goalmouth action in a first-half fought mainly in midfield, and as the match wore on the it remained scoreless with both goalkeepers being virtual bystanders.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 82nd minute by László Bartha, János Szabó’s cross from the left breaking off Stef Wils and into his path, and the former Ferencváros making no mistake from 12 yards. Four minutes later the visitors were two goals to the good, left-back Szabó the first to react after the Haladás defence failed to deal with a corner. Máté Tóth did get a goal back for Haladás in injury time, but it was too little too late for Bálint Pacsi’s side who now sit a point off the bottom and who will be looking forward to finally moving into their new stadium after a year and a half on the road. Paks, with their first victory in four games, move up to sixth.

Budapest Honvéd 4-3 Puskás Akadémia (1-0) 
Goalscorers: HON: Holender (23’), Lanzafame (58’, 88’), Danilo (93’); PUS: P. Szakály P. (52’), Knežević (55’, 71’)

Honvéd join Debrecen on 25 points after coming from behind late-on to win 4-3 against Puskás Akadémia, their third victory in four games and their first at home after suffering three defeats in a row at the Bozsik Stadion.

Erik van der Meer’s side opened the scoring, albeit with a dose of luck, halfway through the first half. Davide Lanzafame’s cross evaded the Puskás Akadémia defence before bouncing off a surprised Filip Holender’s face and into the corner of the net.

Puskás Akadémia levelled in the 52nd minute, Péter Szakály scoring from 15 yards, and three minutes later they were ahead, Josip Knežević rifling high into the net from an acute angle for his eighth of the season. The visitors’ joy was short-lived however, Lanzafame restoring parity within three minutes as he rounded Lajos Hegedüs to make it 2-2.

Knežević restored Puskás Akadémia’s lead with just under twenty minutes left to play, Djordje Kamber being dispossessed by Szakály in the corner, and the Croat the first to react as he swept the ball past Dávid Gróf at the near post. That lead would hold until the 88th minute, Lanzafame firing in a trademark free-kick in off the post to level the scores at 3-3. Both teams had chances thereafter to win the match, but it was Honvéd substitute Danilo who proved the match-winner in the 93rd minute as he rose to plant a header past Hegedűs after a cross from Bence Bánó-Szabó.