OTP Bank Liga: Ferencváros hit Debrecen for six

Kaposvár 0-2 Fehérvár

Goalscorers: Milanov (3’), Futács (52’)

Kaposvár: Pogacsics – Nagy J. (Jakimiv, 68’), Nagy T., Szabó A., Fodor – Szakály A., Vachtler – Balázs (Slakta, 24’), Beliczky, Csiki (Nagy R., 79’) – Ádám
Fehérvár: Kovácsik – Nego, Rus, Musliu, Stopira – Nikolov, Elek (Hadžić, 56’), Pátkai – Milanov, Futács (Zsóri, 89’), Petriak (Pantić, 81’)

An early goal in each half brought league leaders Fehérvár victory away to struggling Kaposvár. Georgi Milanov gave the 2018 champions the lead from the spot after three minutes after Ivan Petriak had been upended in the penalty area by Tamás Nagy. The home side were then reduced to ten men in the 22nd minute, goalkeeper Krisztián Pogacsics dismissed for handling the ball outside the box.

The match was all-but over as a contest by the 52nd minute when Márkó Futács capitalised on a mistake from Alex Szabó to run in on goal and slot the ball under substitute keeper Balázs Slatka. The result sees Marko Nikolić’s side remain top of the table on goal difference ahead of reigning champions Ferencváros.

Debrecen 1-6 Ferencváros

Goalscorers: DEB: Kundrák (50’); FER: Varga (11’, 79’), Nguen (36’, 87’), Isael (61’), Bőle, 76’)

Debrecen: Nagy (Košický, 58’) – Kinyik, Pávkovics, Szatmári (Garba, 72’), Ferenczi – Kusnyír, Haris, Czősz, Szécsi (Kundrák, 46’) – Adeniji, Trujić

Ferencváros: Gróf – Lovrencsics, Blažič, Frimpong, Ćivić (Csontos, 85’) – Kharatin, Ihnatenko – Zubkov (Bőle, 72’), Nguen, Varga – Isael (Boli, 80’)

Fresh from their midweek Europa League exertions against CSKA Moscow, Ferencváros powered their way to a 6-1 victory over Debrecen at the Nagyerdei Stadion, four second-half goals securing the points after Norbert Kundrák had given Debrecen hope. The result sees Ferencváros level with Fehérvár at the top of the table, two points clear of third-placed Mezőkövesd.

Ferencváros took the lead in the 11th minute, Roland Varga firing home after being found inside the Debrecen penalty area by Isael. Debrecen came back strongly and created numerous goalscoring opportunities, Dávid Gróf being called into action to deny Ákos Kinyik, Tunde Adeniji, Attila Haris and Bence Pávkovics, but Ferencváros weathered the storm to take command. Tokmac Nguen doubled the visitors’ lead in the 36th minute, heading home Varga’s chipped cross from a metre out at the back post as Serhiy Rebrov’s men went in two ahead at the break.

Norbert Kundrák replaced the injured Márk Szécsi at half-time, the former Ferencváros striker scoring with a glancing header within five minutes of coming on to give the home side hope at 2-1, but that was soon snuffed out as Ferencváros upped gears and scored four more times. Isael got the third with a header from a Gergő Lovrencsics cross, Lukács Bőle the fourth with a delicate chipped effort moments after coming on, Varga the fifth when substitute goalkeeper Tomáš Košický could only push an Nguen effort into his path and Nguen the sixth when he rounded off the scoring by curling home from just inside the box with three minutes to go.

Zalaegerszeg 1-1 Mezőkövesd

Goalscorers: ZAL: Bobál G. (60’); MEZ: Zivzivadze (41’)
Red card: Farkas D. (81.)

Zalaegerszeg: Demjén – Kocsis G., Lesjak, Bolla (Holodyuk, 89’), Bobál D. – Mitrović, Bedi – Babati (Ikoba, 54’), Stieber, Radó (Grumić, 88’) – Bobál G.
Mezőkövesd: Szappanos – Farkas D., Pillár, Katanec, Silye – Berecz, Karnitsky – Pekár (Vajda, 72’), Cseri (Sajbán, 88’), Nagy D. (Vadnai, 87’) – Zivzivadze

Péter Szappanos saved two penalties for Mezőkövesd as they were held 1-1 away by Zalaegerszeg, a result which sees the men from Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén fall two points behind Fehérvár and Ferencváros in third place.

Georgian striker Budu Zivzivadze had given Mezőkövesd a 41st-minute lead, receiving the ball somewhat fortuitously from Dániel Nagy before chesting the ball down and firing home past Patrik Demjén from close range.

Szappanos’s first penalty save came in the 48th minute when he dived low to his right to deny Benjámin Babati after Matija Katanec had been penalised for a foul on Gergely Bobál. Bobál drew Zalaegerszeg level after an hour, however, firing home at the second attempt after his first was blocked.

The home side were awarded a second penalty with nine minutes to go – Dániel Farkas picking up a second yellow card and therefore a red in the process – but Szappanos stood tall to beat away András Radó’s effort and record an unlikely second penalty save. Bobál came close to snatching a winner for Zalaegerszeg deep in injury-time but ten-man Mezőkövesd held on for a point.

Puskás Akadémia 1-3 Újpest

Goalscorers: PUS: Henty (34.); ÚJP: Onovo (31’), Feczesin (45’, 81’)

Puskás Akadémia: Hegedüs L. – Szolnoki, Meissner (Tamás N., 67’), Hadzhiev, Nagy Zs. – van Nieff, Varga J. (Radics, 9’) – Sós (Gyurcsó, 53’), Knežević, Henty – Vaněček
Újpest: Banai – Pauljević, Heris, Ristevski, Bureković – Nwobodo, Sanković, Onovo, Zsótér (Szakály P., 88’), Simon K. (Balázs B., 91’) – Feczesin (Koszta M., 92’)

Another club on the rise following a poor start are Újpest, a 3-1 victory away to Puskás Akadémia seeing the Lilák move into the top half of the table on Saturday evening. Nebojša Vignjević’s side took the lead in the 31st minute, Donát Zsótér sending Krisztián Simon free down the right and after his low cross had been dummied by Obinna Nwobodo up stepped Vincent Onovo to drill the ball low into the left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Ezequiel Henty drew Puskás level moments later, tucking home from close range after being set up by Josip Knežević, but Újpest were 2-1 to the good at half-time thanks to a Róbert Feczesin header following a Nwobodo cross from the right. Puskás came close to equalising on the hour, Knežević testing Dávid Banai, and the Croatian also shot inches wide 15 minutes later. Feczesin, though, had the final say, stabbing home from three yards with nine minutes left, again Nwobodo the provider.

Honvéd 1-0 Diósgyőr

Goalscorer: Lanzafame (29’)

Honvéd: Tujvel – Batik, Kamber, Lovrić – Uzoma, Gazdag (Ben-Hatira, 87’), Vadócz (Kesztyűs, 74’), Nagy G., Aliji – Lanzafame, Moutari (Banó-Szabó, 80.)
Diósgyőr: Danilović – Polgár, Brković, Karan, Tamás M. – Márkvárt, Iszlai – Shestakov (Bacsa, 71’), Rui Pedro (Szabó B., 66’), Prosser – Hasani (Ivanovski, 57’)

Italian striker Davide Lanzafame proved to be the match-winner as Honvéd racked up their fourth consecutive victory following a wobbly start to the season. Honvéd had already come close through Dániel Gazdag before they took the lead in the 29th minute. Amadou Moutari took advantage of Diósgyőr indecision on the halfway line before exchanging passes with Lanzafame, who made the most of a slip from Dejan Karan to plant the ball under Branislav Danilović from eleven metres.

Moutari twice came close to increasing Honvéd’s lead in the second half either side of Tomáš Tujvel tipping a long-range Márk Tamás effort over the bar. Substitute Änis Ben-Hatira also tested Danilović late on, before Mirko Ivanovski was sent-off in added time along with both coaches, Tamás Feczkó and Giuseppe Sannino. The Budapest side now sit fifth, only a point behind Puskás Akadémia in fourth spot.

Paks 1-1 Kisvárda

Goalscorers: PAK: Szabó (90+1’); KIS: Lucas (88’)

Paks: Rácz – Poór (Osváth, 72’), Lenzsér, Gévay, Szabó J. – Papp K., Simon Á. (Windecker, 59’), Balogh B. – Könyves (Kulcsár, 82’), Hahn – Böde
Kisvárda: Felipe – Melnyik, Kravchenko, Rubus, Protić – Lucas, Bumba (Hey, 93’) – Hugo Seco (Kovácsréti, 83’), Tsoukalas, Grozav – Gosztonyi (Sassa, 67’)

Both teams struggled against the elements in a rainswept Paks, electing to place the emphasis on safety rather than taking too many risks. The first half was almost totally bereft of goalscoring opportunities, whilst in the second, hosts Paks took the initiative, Norbert Könyves being thwarted by Felipe, who somehow kept out his close-range effort. Kristóf Papp then rattled the crossbar with an effort from distance.

János Hahn was the next to be denied by Felipe as the Paks pressure continued, whilst at the other end Claudiu Bumba headed just wide in the 66th minute. Könyves squandered a great opportunity in the 78th, firing wide with only Felipe to beat, before Gergő Rácz did well to claw away a Radoš Protić free-kick moments after Papp had received his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Kisvárda took the lead from the resulting corner, Márk Kovácsréti curling the ball into the box and Lucas volleying home, but away joy was shortlived as three minutes later, Paks left-back János Szabó played a one-two with Hahn before sweeping the ball low into the corner of the net from just inside the Kisvárda box to salvage a share of the points for the home side.