OTP Bank Liga: Böde fires Fradi to the top

Újpest 2-2 Videoton (0-2) 
Goalscorers: ÚJP: Pauljević (50’), Tischler (71’); VID: Henty (1’), Hadžić (5’)

Videoton came into the match as league leaders, and in better form than hosts Újpest, but despite racing into a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes, they had Ádám Kovácsik to thank for ensuring they came away with a point after he saved Patrik Tischler’s late penalty in a match they finished with nine men.

The Székesfehérvár side took the lead in 25 seconds, Ezekiel Henty running onto a pass from Asmir Suljić, evading the challenge of Róbert Litauszki, and then firing home at the second attempt after his initial effort had come back off the post. Four minute later they were two up, Marko Šćepović’s shot being parried by Filip Pajović and Anel Hadžić on hand to bury the rebound. Šćepović spurned a great opportunity to make it three in the eighteenth minute, his shot coming off the post after a defensive error had set him in the clear, but if things looked cut-and-dried at that stage, they would soon unravel for the visitors.

Reduced to ten men after 37 minutes as Hadžić was red-carded for use of the elbow, Videoton saw their lead cut to one just five minutes into the second half as Branko Pauljević fired high into the net from 15 yards. Substitute Patrik Tischler then brought the home side level in the 72nd, heading home a first-time Dániel Nagy pass after Pauljević had crossed into the box, and with Suljić also receiving his marching orders from referee Péter Solymosi in the 89th minute, Tischler saw his 92nd minute spot-kick saved by Kovácsik after Dávid Mohl had been felled by Loïc Nego.

Balmazújváros 0-3 Budapest Honvéd (0-1) 
Goalscorers: Gazdag (35’), Lanzafame (50’ pen), Eppel (73’)

Budapest Honvéd ran out comfortable winners against Balmazújváros courtesy of Dániel Gazdag’s first-ever NB I goal, Davide Lanzafame’s first since mid-September, and another from Márton Eppel.

Filip Holender came close to giving Erik van der Meer’s team a sixth minute lead, his shot cannoning off the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten. The opener came in the 35th minute, Dániel Gazdag given space to shoot from 30 yards out, his shot flying past Krisztián Pogacsics and into the top-corner of the net.

The second half began with Dávid Gróf clawing away a Bachana Arabuli header at full-stretch, and Honvéd doubled their lead moments later, Lanzafame scoring from the spot after Pogacsics had fouled Eppel. The Honvéd number 9 secured the points with just seventeen minutes left to play, chesting down a cross from Akeem Latifu before rifling home from eight-yards. Honvéd remain in fourth-place, three points behind Debrecen in third, whilst Balmazújváros remain level on points with Mezőkövesd at the foot of the table.

Debreceni VSC 3-2 Paks (1-1) 
Goalscorers: DEB: Bódi (12’, 74’), Tőzsér (55’ pen); PAK: K. Papp (10’, 61’)

Debrecen edged Paks in a five-goal thriller at the Nagyerdei Stadion which sees them with seven victories and two draws from their last nine matches as they look forward to next weekend’s big match at Ferencváros.

Kristóf Papp gave Paks a 10th minute lead, bursting into the box and firing low into the far corner from 15 yards, but the hosts were level within two minutes as Ádám Bódi slotting home from close-range after being set-up by Norbert Könyves.

Debrecen took the lead ten minutes into second half, Dániel Tőzsér scoring from a penalty for his fifth of the season after Dávid Kulcsár had fouled Balázs Bényei in the box. That lead only lasted six minutes, Papp getting on the end of an inviting Lajos Bertus cross to restore parity at 2-2. The winning goal came in the 74th minute, Ádám Bódi slotting the ball past former Debrecen keeper István Verpecz after receiving a pass from Tamás Takács in a quick counter-attack.

Haladás 0-3 Diósgyőri VTK (0-0) 
Goalscorers: Lipták (50’), Ugrai (51’), Nono (69’)

Tamás Bódog’s Diósgyőr are up to fifth in the table after scoring three second-half goals against Haladás in Sopron. Haladás, soon to be moving to their new stadium back in Szombathely, were denied a first-half lead when Botond Antal saved from Karol Mészáros, but the teams went in at half-time with the game scoreless.

That all changed after the break with the introduction of Roland Ugrai. First, in the 50th minute his flighted free-kick was headed into the next by Zoltán Lipták. Next, just a minute later, he was on target himself, sweeping home a Diego Vela pass from 15 yards low past Gábor Király. The third came midway through the second half, José Antonio Villar’s curling 20-yard shot coming down off the crossbar and bouncing just behind the goal-line.

Mezőkövesd 0-1 Ferencváros (0-1) 
Goalscorer: Böde (39’)

Ferencváros, knocked out of the Hungarian Cup in midweek by NB II team Kisvárda, took home all three points thanks to Dániel Böde’s first-half header. Thomas Doll’s team are now unbeaten in eight league matches and overtake Videoton as league-leaders on goal-difference.

Fradi were the livelier team in the first half, Amadou Moutari and Roland Varga both coming close to breaking the deadlock before Dániel Böde rose to head a Marquinhos Pedroso cross from the left past Tomáš Tujvel six minutes before half-time. Mezőkövesd squandered a great opportunity to equalise not long after the break, Márk Koszta steering his shot wide with the goal gaping. The home side continued to pressurize the Ferencváros defence thereafter but couldn’t find a way past Dénes Dibusz, whilst at the other end Roland Varga came closest to increasing the visitors’ lead, his cross/shot going inches past the upright and Moutari only just failing to connect.

Puskás Akadémia 0-0 Vasas

Hosts Puskás Akadémia held territorial superiority early on against Vasas, Dániel Prosser calling Ľuboš Kamenár into action just after 13 minutes after cutting inside from the left. The visitors were more of an attacking threat after the break, Felix Burmeister forcing Lajos Hegedüs into a fine save with a long-range shot after 56 minutes Puskás Akadémia were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute, Antonio Perošević adjudged to have been fouled in the box by Bálint Gaál, but Kamenár succeeded in turning Josip Knežević’s’ shot round the post. The 0-0 draw sees Vasas slip to sixth place, whilst Puskás Akadémia remain in eighth.