OTP Bank Liga: Promoted teams suffer baptism of fire

OTP Bank Liga, 1st round:

Diósgyőri VTK 2–1 Budapest Honvéd (HT: 1–1)
Miskolc, ref: Bognár
Goalscorers: DIÓ: Tajti (45. pen), Sestakov (75.), HON: N'Gog (37. pen)
Yellow cards: DIÓ: Karan (72.), Tamás (83.), HON: Niba (60.), Kamber (83.)

Diósgyőri VTK: Danilovic – Polgár, Brkovic, Karan, Tamás M. – Márkvárt, Adukor – Sestakov (Juhar, 86.), Hasani (Boros, 57.), Tajti (Szabó B., 80.) – Prosser

Budapest Honvéd: Berla – Niba, Batik, Kamber, Ikenne-King, Uzoma (Cipf, 77.) – Gazdag (Kukoc, 34.), Kesztyűs, Banó-Szabó – Kulacs (Moutari, 71.), N'Gog

Diósgyőr started the stronger team in front of more than 6,000 of their own fans but they couldn't break down an initially well-drilled Honvéd backline. Indeed, it was the away side which snatched the lead against the run of play thanks to David N'Gog's penalty. The hosts levelled in similar circumstances just before the half-time break though, courtesy of Mátyás Tajti's spotkick.

Diósgyőr continued to dictate the game in the second half and Sestakov gave them a deserved lead with a quarter of an hour remaining, but they sat off thereafter and Honvéd were able to offer a sustained goal threat for the first time. There were no further goals though so it was Diósgyőr celebrating the three points at the final whistle.

MOL Fehérvár FC 4-2 Kaposvári Rákóczi FC (3–2)
Székesfehérvár, ref: Solymosi
Goalscorers: FEH: Futács (5., 62.), Hodzic (16., 40.), KAP: Ádám M. (7., 45+2.)
Yellow cards: FEH: Rus (12.), KAP: Ádám M. (65.), Nagy K. (72.), Szakály A. (76.)

MOL Fehérvár FC: Kovácsik – Nego, Juhász R., Rus, Hangya – Kovács I., Hadzic (Nikolov, 38.), Pátkai, Petrjak (Fiola, 79.) – Futács, Hodzic (Huszti, 85.)
Kaposvár: Pogacsics – Vachtler (Nagy R., 45.), Ur, Hegedűs D., Hadaró – Nagy K., Jakimiv (Vojnovic, 60.) – Nagy J., Szakály A., Csiki (Bíró D., 64.) – Ádám M.

Both teams opened their accounts early on in this match, Márkó Futács crashing in a shot under the crossbar in the fifth minute before Ádám Martin headed in a corner to equalise two minutes later. Fehérvár were knocked out of Europe this week but they showed no sign of it affecting their start to the domestic season, Armin Hodzic extending their lead before Martin reduced the deficit to 3-2 going into the break.

Futács snuffed out the visitors' threat just after the hour mark with his second goal of the game and he was close to his hat-trick on another occasion, only for his effort to evade the net. Ivan Petrjak also chose the wrong option in front of goal but it didn't matter as Kaposvár failed to threaten a recovery and so it was last season's championship runners-up who took all three points.

Újpest FC 1–3 Puskás Akadémia (0–2)
Illovszky Rudolf Stadion, ref: Vad II
Goalscorers: ÚJP: Balázs B. (52.), PUS: Henty (13., 31.), Knezevic (69.)
Yellow cards: ÚJP: Zsótér (27.), PUS: Hadzsiev (46.), Nagy Zs. (53.), Kiss T. (92.)

Újpest FC: Pajovic – Pauljevic, Ristevski, Litauszki, Burekovic (Balázs B., 32.) – Sankovic, Onovo – Nwobodo, Zsótér (Bjarnason, 74.), Simon K. (K. Mészáros, 84.) – Koszta
Puskás Akadémia: Hegedüs L. – Szolnoki, Meissner, Hadzsiev, Nagy Zs. – Radics, Van Nieff (Spandler, 72.), Knezevic, Sós B. (Kiss T., 84.) – Vanecek, Henty (Mebrahtu, 62.)

Due to the Szusza Ferenc Stadion's renovation, Újpest will be playing all their home matches this autumn season at city rivals Vasas, starting with this opening fixture against Puskás Akadémia, whose new head coach is Zsolt Hornyák. His side got off to the best start possible with a 13th-minute unmarked header by Ezekiel Henty from a left-wing cross. Despite Újpest's greater possession, the team from Felcsút remained the more dangerous and it was Henty again who doubled their lead from a rebound in the 31st minute. Both teams had chances as the first half drew to a close but there was no further addition to the scoreline.

Benjámin Balázs's goal on 52 minutes - a close-range finish from a corner - gave Újpest the perfect entrance to the second period but they couldn't capitaise on that by finding a leveller and instead Josip Knezevic finished off a counter-attack to re-establish Puskás Akadémia's two-goal advantage, one they preserved for the rest of the match to secure their third win in four matches away at Újpest.

Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC 1–0 ZTE FC (1–0)
Mezőkövesd, ref: Erdős
Goalscorer: MEZ: Zivzivadze (20.)
Yellow cards: MEZ: Pekár (60.), ZTE: Devecseri (15.), Mitrovic (87.)
Mezőkövesd: Szappanos – Farkas D. (Eperjesi, 25.), Katanec, Nesterov, Vadnai – Szeles T. (Berecz, 60.), Karnyickij – Cseri, Nagy D., Pekár (Vajda, 89.) – Zivzivadze
ZTE FC: Demjén – Tamás K., Lesjak, Devecseri, Bedi – Mitrovic, Kocsis G. (Gergényi, 87.) – Barczi (Bobál G., 71.), Grumic, Babati (Hudák, 76.)– Radó

Newly-promoted Zalagerszeg had more of the ball in the first part of this match but couldn't convert that into goals and they paid the price, Mezőkövesd's new signing, Georgian Budu Zivzivadze, finishing off a nice move to score what became the match's winning goal. The hosts' goalkeeper Szappanos denied Zalaegerszeg three times after the break and Patrik Demjen also impressed at the other end as Mezőkövesd saw out the rest of the game and got their campaign off to the best beginning possible.

Kisvárda Master Good 1–0 Paksi FC (0–0)
Kisvárda, ref: Bogár
Goalscorers: KIS: Grozav (79.)
Yellow cards: KIS: Tischler (3.), Berios (4.), Cukalas (64.), PAKS: Könyves (6.), Papp (38.)

Kisvárda: Minca – Melnyik, Beriosz, Kravcsenko, Protic – Lucas, Cukalasz - Hugo Seco (Negrut, 71.), Grozav, Kovácsréti (Karaszjuk, 81.) – Tischler (Gosztonyi 45.)
Paks: Holczer – Osváth, Fejes, Lenzsér, Szabó J. – Papp – Fejős (Bartha, 75.), Windecker (Cseke, 66.), Könyves (Remili, 84.), Hahn – Böde

Both teams have new head coaches for the new season, László Miriuta for Kisvárda and Tomislav Sivic. Kisvárda looked the more impressive of the two teams at the outset but Paks eventually settled into what became an even game, neither team capable of testing the opposing goalkeeper. The hosts started the second half better too and saw a goal ruled out for offside. Miriuta's side continued to dominate possession of the ball and were rewarded with a neat 79th-minute winner from Romanian midfielder Gheorghe Grozav, the team from the east of the country ensuring a winning start to their second season in the Hungarian top flight.