OTP Bank Liga: Title-holders Fradi go top

Ferencváros 3-2 Zalaegerszeg
Goalscorers: FER: Boli (6’), Nguen (15’), Isael (45’); ZAL: Radó (18’), Bobál G. (60’)

Ferencváros: Dibusz - Lovrencsics, Blažič, Frimpong, Civic - Haratin, Ihnatenko - Isael, Nguen (Škvarka, 76’), Varga R. (Botka, 89’) - Boli (Signevich, 85’)
Zalaegerszeg: Demjén - Bolla, Bobál D., Devecseri, Bedi - Kocsis G. - Stieber, Mitrovic, Holodyuk (Ikoba, 50.), Radó (Babati, 70’) - Bobál G. (Grumić, 83’)

Ferencváros twice led by two goals and even missed a penalty as they went top of the table with a 3-2 victory over Zalaegerszeg at the Groupama Aréna, with most of the excitement coming in the first forty-five minutes.

Franck Boli gave the hosts a sixth-minute lead, receiving a pass from Isael before firing low past Patrik Demjén. Five minutes later, Boli was brought down by Szilárd Devecseri after again being played in by Isael – this time with a cheeky backheel –, but the Brazilian hit the resultant spot-kick off the post. Tokmac Nguen duly made it two after quarter of an hour, rounding Demjén to score after a clever dummy by Boli, as Fradi continued their blistering start. Former Ferencváros striker András Radó reduced the deficit almost immediately, cutting inside Miha Blažič before dinking the ball over Dénes Dibusz, but the home side continued to dominate, a Boli header crashing off the post in the 25th minute and Isael eventually grabbing the third just before the break.

The second half was a more sedate affair, Zalaegerszeg scoring to make it 3-2 on the hour when Dibusz could only push Zoltán Stieber’s effort into the path of Gergely Bobál. Both sides had chances late on, Benjamin Babati heading off the crossbar for the visitors, but Serhiy Rebrov’s side took all three points as they top the table two points ahead of Mezőkövesd and three ahead of Fehérvár, and with a game in hand.

Mezőkövesd 2-0 Kaposvár
Goalscorers: Cseri (45’, pen), Berecz (47’)
Mezőkövesd: Szappanos - Vadnai, Katanec, Pillár, Silye - Karnitsky, Berecz - Cseri, Pekár (Sajbán, 85’), Vajda S. (Nagy D., 61’) - Zivzivadze (Takács T., 89’)
Kaposvár: Slakta - Nagy J., Úr, Vachtler, Nagy T. - Jakimiv (Hadaró, 54’)- Nagy R., Szakály (Marković, 66’), Beliczky - Poplatnik (Borbély, 72’), Ádám

Two goals either side of the break against Kaposvár put Mezőkövesd briefly on top of the table until Ferencváros’s victory on Sunday. Tamás Cseri gave Attila Kuttor’s side the lead in the 45th minute, scoring from the spot after being fouled in the box by Gergő Beliczky. and Zsombor Berecz doubled their lead in the 47th, firing through a ruck of players from twenty yards after Kaposvár had failed to deal with a corner from the left. Budu Zivzivadze spurned a great opportunity to bag a third late on, firing wide with only the keeper to beat, but Mezőkövesd’s impressive start to the season continues, their unbeaten run now stretching to six matches.

Fehérvár 1-3 Puskás Akadémia
Goalscorers: FEH: Juhász R. (90’); PUS: Vaněček (3’), Gyurcsó (27’, 71’)
Fehérvár: Kovácsik - Nego, Musliu, Juhász, Hangya - Nikolov, Pátkai - Milanov (Hodžić, 46’), Pantic (Kovács I., 46’), Petriak (Zsóri, 61’) - Futács
Puskás Akadémia: Hegedüs - Szolnoki, Meissner, Hadzhiev, Spandler - Van Nieff - Mebrahtu (Radics, 76’), Knežević, Henty (Sós, 87’), Gyurcsó - Vaněček

Puskás Akadémia moved to within three points of county rivals Fehérvár after a comfortable 3-1 victory over last season’s runners-up in the MOL Aréna Sóstó, a result which ultimately cost Fehérvár coach Marko Nikolic his job, the Serbian coach who led Fehérvár to the Hungarian league title in 2018 and the Europa League group stage last season being relieved of his duties on Monday morning.

David Vaněček got Puskás off to a great start, firing home on the volley from a tight angle in the third minute, and with former Fehérvár winger Ádám Gyurcsó curling in a second not long before the half-hour, the Felcsút side held a two-goal lead going into the break. Fehérvár dominated possession but failed to convert this into chances, having Ádám Kovácsik to thank for saving a Josip Knežević penalty on the hour, and by midway through the second half they were three down, Gyurcsó rounding Kovácsik to score after being put through by Knežević. Roland Juhász did score a consolation for Fehérvár in the last minute of normal time but it was too little, too late for Fehérvár as their shaky late-autumn form continues, this being their third defeat in seven matches.

Honvéd 2-1 Paks
Goalscorers: HON: Lanzafame (75’, pen), Aliji (83’); PAK: Böde (72’)
Budapest Honvéd: Tujvel - Batik (Kálnoki-Kis, 49’), Kamber, Lovrić - Kesztyűs (Banó-Szabó, 91’), Gazdag, Vadócz, Nagy G., Aliji - Lanzafame, Moutari (N'Gog, 85’)
Paks: Rácz - Lenzsér, Fejes, Gévay, Szabó J. - Osváth (Kulcsár D., 67‘), Simon Á., Windecker (Kecskés, 82’), Balogh B. - Hahn (Remili, 59’), Böde

Honvéd recorded their fifth victory on the trot, Davide Lanzafame scoring for the fifth successive match, as they came from behind to defeat Paks 2-1 at the Új Hidegkuti Stadion. Tomáš Tujvel had already been tested by former Ferencváros striker Dániel Böde in the fist half, but he was unable to keep out Böde’s near-post header in the 72nd minute. Spurred into action, Honvéd levelled three minutes later, Davide Lanzafame scoring Panenka-style from the spot after János Szabó was adjudged to have fouled his opponent in the box following a corner. The winning goal came with seven minutes left to play, Paks failing to deal with a long Lanzafame ball and left-back Naser Aliji capitalising on indecision in the visitors’ defence to poke home from close range. Honvéd remain fifth but are now five points ahead of Újpest in sixth. Paks, meanwhile, remain third bottom.

Újpest 0-2 Diósgyőr
Goalscorers: Márkvárt (23’), Tabaković (32’)
Újpest: Banai - Pauljević, Heris, Litauszki, Bureković - Sanković - Onovo (Szakály P., 63’), Nwobodo, Zsótér (Bjarnason, 63’), Simon (Koszta, 46’) - Feczesin
Diósgyőr: Danilović – Shestakov, Polgár, Tamás M., Vági - Márkvárt, Iszlai - Hasani, Rui Pedro (Korbély, 82’), Prosser (Bacsa, 90.) – Tabaković

Two first half goals from Dávid Márkvárt and Haris Tabaković brought Diósgyőr all three points at the Illovszky Stadion, the Miskolc side recording their third victory in four as their revival under coach Tamás Feczkó continues.

Márkvárt’s opener came in the 23rd minute, the Hungary international midfielder scoring on the rebound after Dávid Banai had deflected Tabaković’s header into his path. Donát Zsótér came close for Újpest not long after with a rasping long-range drive, but Diósgyőr were two goals to the good before the half was out, Tabaković scoring with a measured shot from the edge of the penalty area, Zsótér again coming close for the home side with a curling effort which came of the bottom of the left upright. The best of the second-half chances fell to Nebojša Vignjević’s side, notably Róbert Feczesin and Aron Bjarnason, but Diósgyőr held firm to move up to eighth. 

Kisvárda 1-0 Debrecen
Goalscorer: Kravchenko (13’)
Kisvárda: Felipe - Hey, Rubus, Kravchenko, Protic (Melnyik, 59’) - Karasyuk, Lucas - Sassa, Bumba (Tsoukalas, 26’), Hugo Seco (Kovácsréti, 75’) - Grozav
Debrecen: Košický - Kusnyír, Kinyik, Pávkovics, Ferenczi - Haris, Tőzsér - Varga K. (Kundrák, 66’), Adeniji (Trujić, 74’), Szécsi (Pintér, 85’) – Garba

Anton Kravchenko scored the only goal of the game as László Dajka’s Kisvárda edged eastern rivals Debrecen at the Várkerti Stadion. The winning strike came in the 13th minute, the Ukrainian centre-back getting the slightest of touches at the front post to a Gheorghe Grozav free kick. Kisvárda leapfrog András Herczeg’s team into seventh place as Debrecen suffered their third defeat in four.