Ferencváros join Videoton at top of table

Ferencváros 3-1 Videoton (2-0)
Goalscorers: FER: Spirovski (34’), Paintsil (44’), Moutari (83’); VID: Lazović (74’)

Ferencváros ran out comfortable winners against Videoton at the Groupama Aréna on Saturday evening to draw level on points with the Székesfehérvár side at the top of the table going into the last round of fixtures before the winter break.

Thomas Doll’s side took the initiative from the off, perhaps edging a fiercely contested opening thirty minutes but unable to carve out any clear-cut chances against a well-drilled Videoton defence. The feeling was there that the best chance of a goal would come from a mistake, and this came to pass in the 34^th minute when Ianique Stopira could only head an Endre Botka cross to the edge of the box and into the path of the arriving Stefan Spirovski who fired a low shot in off the post from twenty yards giving Ádám Kovácsik no chance.

Fradi doubled their lead a minute before half-time, the lively Fernando breaking at pace and playing in Josiph Paintsil who outpaced Attila Fiola, turned him before turning him this way and that and curling a fine shot into the far corner of the net.

Videoton brought on Ezekiel Henty and Asmir Suljić as they pressed to get back in the game, getting a goal back with 16 minutes remaining as Danko Lazović rose ahead of Dénes Dibusz to head home a Stopira cross. Ferencváros sealed victory nine minutes later, Paintsil quickest to react to a short András Fejes back-pass, and Amadou Moutari on hand to convert after the ball had broken off Kovácsik.

Újpest 2-2 Balmazújváros (0-1)
Goalscorers: ÚJP: Novothny (67’ pen, 81’ pen); BAL: Haris (40’), Rácz (47’)

Újpest rose to fourth place thanks to two second-half penalties by Soma Novothny as they came from two down to salvage a point at home to Balmazújváros.

Attila Haris had given the visitors the lead in the 40^th minute, rifling home after Újpest failed to clear a corner, and three minutes after the break they had doubled their lead, Ferenc Rácz catching Filip Pajović out at the near-post with a direct free-kick.


Paks 3-1 Vasas (0-0)
Goalscorers: PAK: J. Szabó (55’, 62’), Lenzsér (73’); VAS: Pavlov (72’)

Hungary international left-back János Szabó scored twice for Paks as they brushed off Vasas 3-1 to get back to winning ways, all the goals coming in the second half following a first forty-five minutes in which neither goalkeeper had ben unduly troubled.

His first came in the 55^th minute, a close-range header following a corner from the left. His second, seven minutes later, put Paks in the driving seat as he drilled home after collecting the ball in space at the edge of the box. Vasas replied in the 72^nd minute, Ievgen Pavlov volleying into the net in spectacular fashion, but within a minute Paks had restored their two goal lead, Bence Lenzsér heading the third with a carbon copy of Szabó’s first strike.


Mezőkövesd 0-0 Diósgyőri VTK

Mezőkövesd and Diósgyőr played out a goalless draw at the Városi Stadion which sees the homes side rooted to the bottom of the table whilst their visitors sit seventh.

The first real opportunity came in the 26^th minute, Dávid Dombó saving a Roland Ugrai Free-kick, and then Csanád Novák missing a great opportunity just before the break. Ugrai almost broke the deadlock in the 57^th minute, rounding Dombó after being put in the clear, only for Dávid Hudák to block his goal-bound shot. Both sides had chances thereafter, but were unable to find the net as the Borsod County derby ended in a draw.


Puskás Akadémia 1-3 Haladás (1-1)
Goalscorers: PUS: P. Szakály (3’); HAL: Ramos (14’ pen, 94’), Wils (59’)

Haladás came from behind against Puskás Akadémia at the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút to record their second victory in a row under new coach Michal Hipp, the Szombathely side now only a point behind 14^th place Balmazújváros as they seek to fight their way out of the relegation placings.

Péter Szakály, making his 300^th NB I appearance, gave Puskás a 3^rd minute lead, launching a fine 30-yard shot into the top corner past Gábor Király. Haladás were soon level though, Myke Ramos scoring from the spot after Vilmos Vanczák was adjudged to have fouled Szabolcs Schimmer in the box.

The visitors  took the lead just before the hour-mark, Stef Wils getting on the end of a Márió Németh free-kick to guide the ball past Lajos Hegedüs in the Puskás goal. Attila Pintér’s side then went on the offensive in the search of an equalising goal, Ulysse Diallo coming close, but Haladás made sure of the points with a breakaway injury-time goal, Ramos getting his second of the match after being set-up by David Williams.

Debreceni VSC 1-0 Budapest Honvéd (1-0)
Goalscorer: Takács (26’) 

Tamás Takács got the only goal of the game as András Herczeg’s Debrecen consigned Honvéd to their third defeat in a row and opened up a six-point gap between the two teams.

Honvéd had goalkeeper Dávid Gróf to thank for denying Norbert Könyves a 10^th-minute opener but he could do little to prevent Takács from breaking the deadlock in the 26^th minute, the former Diósgyőr striker cutting inside from the right before drilling into the corner as Debrecen punished Honvéd for a misplaced midfield pass. Dániel Gazdag almost got his side back on level terms not long after, his deflected effort almost catching Sándor Nagy out in the Debrecen goal. Gróf was soon in action again, denying Ákos Kinyik at point-blank range, the home side holding their goal advantage at the break.

The second half brought chances for both sides, Takács inches away from a second goal and Nagy denying Davide Lanzafame and Danilo at the other end, before the Brazilian squandered a guilt-edged opportunity to level the scores late on when he missed an open goal from three yards out. Debrecen held on though, to secure a second victory in a row as they open up a five-point gap between themselves and 4^th place Újpest.