MTK Women earn right to challenge Fradi for European spot

Simple Női Liga, Rearranged from round 13

MTK Hungária FC 5–1 DVTK (HT: 3–1)
Új Hidegkuti Nándor Stadion, behind closed doors, ref.: Mihály Káprály
Goalscorers: Lilla Turányi (6, 36), Ágnes Nagy (35), Zoé Magyarics (77), Loretta Németh (81) DVTK: Hanna Barker (10)

MTK: Réka Szőcs - Lilla Nagy (Zsófia Mayer, 80), Réka Demeter, Lilla Turányi, Anita Pinczi - Ágnes Nagy (Lora Legendás, 83), Edina Farádi-Szabó (Bernadett Stefad, 83), Diána Csányi (Blanka Bokor, 83) - Zoé Magyarics, Loretta Németh, Emőke Pápai (Barbara Tóth, 70)

DVTK: Fruzsina Schildkraut - Eirini Nefrou (Kinga Boros, 46), Lilyana Ivanova Kostova (Dominika Balogh, 87), Bianca Sandu, Danae Kaldaridou - Biljana Bradić, Fanni Vachter, Adrienn Oláh - Fanni Nagy, Csilla Balázs (Klaudia Vígh, 77), Hanna Barker.

MTK and DVTK were in second and third place in the table respectively with 28 points each before their meeting on Thursday, the Budapest team only ahead on goal difference. Even before the match, it was certain that the winner would go on to face Ferencváros in a straight best-of-three fight for Hungary's one UEFA Women's Champions League place.

After a long absence, the players took to the pitch for the first time this year in the league, MTK and DVTK not having played a single league match since the winter break. MTK's starting team consisted mainly of adult and youth international footballers, while DVTK's numerous foreign players were complemented by U19 Hungarian national-team member Fanni Nagy and her compatriots Fanni Vachter, Adrienn Oláh and Fruzsina Schildkrait as well as Transylvanian Csilla Balázs.

MTK took the lead as early as the sixth minute when Turányi crashed in a powerful shot on the run after Diána Csányi had swung in a corner kick, but Diósgyőr hit back almost immediately when they capitalised on Ágnes Nagy receiving treatment for an injury to attack MTK's under-protected right flank. Fanni Vachter rolled the ball across to Hanna Barker who stroked the ball past Réka Szőcs and into the net for the equaliser.

A swift restoration of parity spurred the visitors on to match their hosts for attacking intent as both sides sought to score again soon. Midway through the half, Lilla Nagy shot high over the Diósgyőr goal and ten minutes later Turányi went even closer by striking the crossbar, but this time it yielded an even better opportunity when Emőke Pápai was fouled in pursuit of the rebound, and a penalty was awarded.

Ágnes Nagy's spotkick was saved by Fruzsina Schildkrait but Nagy pounced on the rebound and found the net to re-establish the home team's advantage. Worse was to follow for Diósgyőr as an immediate surrendering of possession from the restart and a subsequent foul gave Csányi the chance to swing in a free kick which Turányi diverted into the goal for a 3-1 lead, one which remained intact for the rest of the first half.

The second half started in a similarly open fashion to the first, but neither team could create a really clear-cut opportunity. That was until the 77th minute when MTK effectively ended the game as a contest, neat interplay between Anita Pinczi and Ágnes Nagy allowing team captain Anita Pinczi to move the ball to Zoe Magyarics, who made no mistake.  Straight from the kick-off, Hanna Barker gave Adrienn Oláh an immediate chance to pull a goal back, but she couldn't find the target against her former team.

A few minutes later, MTK's Loretta Németh added gloss to the scoreline with MTK's fifth goal, a shot from the edge of the six-yardbox which went in off the post, and head coach Attila Varga then took the chance to blood a few promising prospects from the bench, Zsófia Mayer (15 years old), then Blanka Bokor (16), Lora Legendás (17) and Bernadett Stefad (17) all gaining minutes on the pitch.

MTK's victory puts them on 31 points - the same as Ferencváros - but due to a worse goal difference they finish second behind their city rivals. Nevertheless they will fight Fradi for the right to be Hungary's representative in next season's Women's Champions League. The first match in this best-of-3 play-off series takes place on 4th June.

Sándor Fórizs, Diósgyőr head coach: "Many more good individual performances were needed in order to win. The team tried everything, but very few played well. MTK performed better today so I congratulate them on their victory".

Attila Varga, MTK head coach: "Once we had a three-goal lead we'd have needed to concede a lot and that's not something which is characteristic of us. Nothing worked in the first half and that's my mistake because I asked the team to play a tactic which I wasn't sure of myself. We played high-quality football in the second half and executed what we'd practised during our preparations".