OTP Bank Liga: Fradi win derby to close gap at top

Ferencváros 1-0 Újpest
Goalscorer: Boli (23’)

Ferencváros: Dibusz – Lovrencsics, Blažič, Botka, Čivić – Sigér, Haratin – Zubkov, Isael (Škvarka, 61’), Nguen (Ihnatenko, 70’) – Boli (Signevich, 89’)
Újpest: Banai – Pauljević, Heris, Ristevski, Balázs B. – Sanković (Szakály P., 74’) – Nwobodo, Onovo, Zsótér (Bjarnason, 74’), Simon (Koszta, 83’) – Feczesin

A solitary goal from Franck Boli midway through the first half was enough to give Ferencváros all three points against an Újpest side which created numerous goalscoring opportunities at the Groupama Aréna.

Újpest had already come closest to opening the scoring through Krisztián Simon in the 13th minute when Boli pounced to convert a teasing cross from the left by Eldar Čivić that evaded Jonathan Heris and Kire Ristevski in the Újpest defence. This was the home side’s second real effort on goal following an Isael shot which had been comfortably dealt with by Dávid Banai in the opening minutes.

A Róbert Feczesin header came crashing off the crossbar, a Donát Zsótér free kick went just wide and Simon against tested Dibusz as Újpest threatened on several occasions to equalise before the break. The second half saw the Lilák continue to press as Ferencváros seemed content to protect their lead or were simply unable to add to it, Tokmac Nguen coming closest with a curling effort that went just past Banai’s left-hand post in the 60th minute. Igor Kharatin headed another Feczesin effort off the line and Vincent Onovo found the side-netting, but for all Újpest’s second-half superiority they failed to seriously endanger Dibusz’s goal. The 1-0 victory sees Ferencváros set a record of 41 league matches unbeaten at home, the previous record of 40 being set in 1969.

Mezőkövesd 0-0 Fehérvár

Mezőkövesd: Szappanos – Farkas D., Nesterov (Pillár, 44’), Katanec, Silye – Berecz, Karnitsky – Pekár, Cseri (Vajda, 83’), Molnár G. (Nagy D., 74’) – Zivzivadze
Fehérvár: Kovácsik – Nego, Rus, Musliu, Hangya – Nikolov, Elek – Kovács I. (Pantić, 71’), Milanov (Futács, 60’), Petriak (Zsóri, 86’) – Hodžić

Second-placed Mezőkövesd hosted league leaders Fehérvár in an encounter which spawned few goalscoring opportunities and ended goalless, a result which sees the Heves County team overtaken by Ferencváros on goal difference and Fehérvár 's lead cut to three points at the top of the table ahead of next week’s big match at home to Sergii Rebrov’s side.

Loïc Nego and Ákos Elek came closest for the Székesfehérvár side in the first half, László Pekár stinging Ádám Kovácsik’s palms with a fierce drive at the other end. Mezőkövesd came closest to scoring in the second half, captain Tamás Cseri testing Kovácsik midway through the half and Budu Zivzivadze squandered an opportunity to score not long after, but with both sides appearing more content to not concede rather than risk all, the match finished without a winner.

Puskás Akadémia 4-2 Paks
Goalscorers: PUS: Vaněček (21’), Urblík (27’), Gyurcsó (50’, 76’)

PAK: Könyves (19’), Papp K. (59’) Puskás Akadémia: Hegedüs L. – Szolnoki, Meissner, Hadzhiev, Nagy Zs. – van Nieff, Urblík (Spandler 83’) – Gyurcsó, Knežević (Mebrahtu 74’), Kiss T. (Sós 62’) – Vaněček
Paks: Holczer – Osváth, Gévay, Fejes, Szabó J. – Papp K. (Simon Á. 91’), Windecker – Könyves, Remili, Balogh B. (Kecskés 64’) – Hahn (Fejős, 46’)

Puskás Akadémia racked up their fourth victory in six unbeaten matches as they came from behind to defeat Paks 4-2 at the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút. Norbert Könyves had given Paks a 19th-minute lead, bursting down the left before cutting inside and curling a shot low into the right-corner past Lajos Hegedüs. Puskás were level within two minutes, Josip Knežević finding David Vaněček in the box with a clever backheel, the Czech striker making no mistake as he claimed his fourth goal of the season. Jozef Urblík put Puskás ahead in the 27th minute with a measured effort from the edge of the box and the Felcsútians went in 2-1 ahead at the break.

Hungary international winger Ádám Gyurcsó got the third, punishing Paks for some more slack defending, and although Kristóf Papp reduced the arrears just before the hour, Gyurcsó made sure of the three points with a clever 30-yard free-kick from the left that caught Ádám Holczer out at his near post with quarter of an hour left to play. Puskás Akadémia are now fourth, four points clear of Kisvarda and only two points behind Mezőkövesd and Ferencváros.

Debrecen 2-1 Diósgyőr
Goalscorers: DEB: Szécsi (8’), Tőzsér (65’, pen); DIÓ: Márkvárt (47’)

DVSC: Nagy S. – Szatmári, Kinyik, Kusnyír, Ferenczi – Varga K., Tőzsér (Csősz, 88’), Szécsi, Haris – Adeniji (Trujić, 76’), Garba (Pávkovics, 84’) DVTK: Danilović – Polgár, Brković, Karan, Tamás M. (Tabaković, 81’) – Márkvárt, Iszlai – Shestakov (Hasani, 69’), Rui Pedro, Prosser (Korbély, 65’) – Ivanovski

Debrecen came out on top in the Derby of the East, despite playing out the last half-hour with ten men after the sending off of Kevin Varga. Loki took an eighth-minute lead, Márk Szécsi stabbing home first-time after slick interplay between him and Varga.

Dávid Márkvárt came close to levelling just after the half-hour, forcing Sándor Nagy into a fine save, before Branislav Danilović turned a Varga effort round the post and Hungary midfielder Márkvárt eventually did restore parity with a deflected effort following a corner on the right not long after the break. Varga was sent off for dissent just after the hour but within minutes the home side were ahead, Dániel Tőzsér scoring from the spot after Bence Iszlai had brought down Csaba Szatmári in the box. Diósgyőr pressed for an equaliser thereafter but failed to seriously test Nagy in the Debrecen goal, Szécsi coming close to making it 3-1 with a low drive which fizzed just past the post with seven minutes left to play.

Zalaegerszeg 0-1 Honvéd
Goalscorer: Lanzafame (77’)

Zalaegerszeg: Demjén – Kocsis G., Lesjak, Bobál D., Gergényi – Bedi, Mitrovic – Radó, Grumić (Babati, 58’), Stieber – Bobál G. (Ikoba, 67’) Honvéd: Tujvel – Uzoma, Batik, Kamber, Lovrić, Aliji – Kesztyűs, Gazdag (Kukoč, 87’), Vadócz (Banó-Szabó, 72’) – Ben-Hatira (Moutari, 72’), Lanzafame

Honvéd leapfrogged hosts Zalaegerszeg and rose to 8th in the table with a 1-0 victory, Italian striker Davide Lanzafame scoring the winner with thirteen minutes left to play.

An even first-half featured two well-organised teams, Zalaegerszeg coming close early on as Gergely Bobál tested Tomáš Tujvel early on and Dániel Gazdag forcing a fine save from Patrik Demjén in the 33rd minute.

Lanzafame squandered a great opportunity to give Honvéd the lead in the 67th minute as he fired a penalty – won when he was adjudged to have been fouled in the box – right at Demjén, but he proved to be the match-winner ten minutes later when he headed home a Bence Batik cross from the right. Amadou Moutari then missed three chances to put the result beyond doubt as Honvéd counter-attacked a Zalaegerszeg side pressing for an equaliser, the visitors eventually having to settle for the solitary goal which proved enough to bring them another three points on the road.

Kaposvár 0-2 Kisvárda
Goalscorers: Lucas (34’), Gosztonyi (88’)

Kaposvár: Pogacsics – Vachtler, Hegedűs, Nagy T., Fodor – Szakály A., Nagy J. (Jakimiv, 37’) – Nagy R. (Balázs, 67’), Nagy K. (Beliczky, 55’), Csiki – Ádám
Kisvárda: Felipe – Melnyik, Berios, Kravchenko, Protic – Lucas, Bumba – Seco (Gosztonyi, 68’), Grozav, Gey – Tischler (Sassá, 78’)

The first-ever competitive meeting between Kaposvár and Kisvárda went the way of the visitors, who made light of the departure of head coach Vasile Miriuta during the international break. Gheorghe Grozav tested Krisztián Pogacsics with an early long-range effort, Felipe having to look lively to deal with a deflected effort at the other end. The opening goal came in the 34th minute, Lucas chesting down and then volleying home a spectacular strike into the top right-corner from outside the box. Indeed, Kisvárda could have been two ahead at the break had Claudiu Bumba not blasted over with the goal gaping in the 41st minute.

Kaposvár were the livelier side in the second half, forcing Kisvárda on the back foot, but with their final ball lacking the quality required, they failed to seriously endanger Felipe’s goal. They were duly made to pay for their profligacy with two minutes left, András Gosztonyi tapping home after being teed up by Grozav following a rapid counter-attack. The result sees Kaposvár rooted to the bottom of the table on six points, while Kisvárda lie in 5th spot on 13 points.