Four wins out of four for Hungarian sides in Europe

Fresh from winning their 30th Hungarian league title last season, Ferencváros received arguably the toughest draw of all the four Hungarian entrants when they were pitted against Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, who have reached the Champions League group stage twice and the Europa League group stage three times in the past six seasons.

Spurred on by a near-capacity crowd at the Groupama Aréna, Serhiy Rebrov’s side took a sixth minute lead when Tokmac Nguen met Gergő Lovrencsics’ teasing cross from the right to guide a shot low past Plamen Iliev from ten metres. Tamás Priskin tested Iliev not long after but Ludogorets grew stronger as the half wore on, duly equalising in the 31st minute through Polish forward Jakub Świerczok after Dénes Dibusz could only parry an effort from Mavis Tchibota into his path.

Unperturbed, Fradi re-took the initiative in the second half, Nguen – who gave Ludogorets' Jordan Ikoko a torrid time all evening – turning the right back inside out before squaring for Oleksandr Zubkov to blast home from eight metres in the 65th minute to restore the home side's lead. The Bulgarians had plenty of pressure thereafter, Dibusz denying Świerczok and Ferencváros surviving some nervy moments late on, the Budapest side hoping that their slender advantage will suffice in Razgrad next Wednesday.

In the Europa League, Loïc Nego scored a first-half hat-trick in Podgorica as MOL Fehérvár brushed aside the challenge of FK Zeta. Veterans Roland Juhász and Szabolcs Huszti combined to add two late goals which give Marko Nikolić’s side a commanding 5-1 lead, making the second leg next Thursday in Felcsút little more than a formality.

Nego opened the scoring in the 3rd minute and doubled the lead in the 12th, Georgi Milanov crossing in from the left on both occasions, and although Balša Goranović reduced the deficit in the 17th minute, Nego completed his hat-trick on 23 minutes as he blasted home from sixteen yards with Milanov yet again the provider. Juhász made it four in the 86th, heading home a Huszti cross, and the former Hungary winger then completed the scoring in injury time with a curling free kick.

Debrecen had to wait until the second half to break down their Albanian opponents, substitute Haruna Garba breaking the deadlock in the 54th minute – two minutes after coming on – as he bundled the ball in from close range following a Kevin Varga cross. The 23-year-old Hungary winger doubled Debrecen’s lead in the 77th minute, guiding home into an empty net after being set up by Serbian winger Nikola Trujić, and added a third goal seven minutes from time – a low drive from outside the box – to give András Herczeg’s side a 3-0 lead ahead of the second, away leg.

Budapest Honvéd also scored three in their home leg but will be ruing a missed penalty from Dániel Gazdag and the concession of an injury time goal against FK Žalgiris Vilnius of Lithuania at the Illovszky Rudolf Stadion, both of which have kept this tie alive.