OTP Bank Liga: Újpest claim crucial win against Cup winners

Újpest replaced their double Hungarian Cup-winning manager Nebojša Vignjević with countryman Pedrag Rogan early last week and his arrival has paid immediate dividends, this victory against the run of play sealed by striker Soma Novothny at the end of a first half which last week's Hungarian Cup winners Budapest Honvéd had dominated. Novothny now has five league goals this calendar year, more than all his teammates combined. Honvéd's Bence Batik struck the crossbar in the 94th minute but Újpest held on to stay out of the relegation zone, ahead of Paks on goal difference and one point clear of Debrecen, who dropped two points at home to Kaposvár. Bence Szabó had given 'Loki' an early lead with his first ever top-flight goal but Kaposvár's Ákos Borbely also achieved that feat late on to earn his side a point, even though their eleven points means their survival battle is now all but over. Debrecen dismissed head coach Zoltán Vitelki two days after this Friday fixture, welcoming back former coach Elemér Kondás in his place.

Another club scrambling for safety is Zalaegerszeg and they continued their excellent recent form with their fourth win in five matches at home to Puskás Akadémia, their brothers Gergely and Dávid Bobál both scoring in a 2-0 win, the latter having replaced the former as a late subsitute. This was Zala's 2000th match in the top three divisions of Hungarian football. Elsewhere, Paks kept their heads above the waterline with an impressive 2-0 triumph away at third-placed Mezőkövesd, two quick attacks finished off expertly by centre-forward Norbert Könyves in the second half to ensure his club stay one place above the drop zone.

At the top of the OTP Bank Liga, Ferencváros were put under early pressure by visitors Diósgyőr but eventually eased to a routine 3-0 success - their 40th in 51 consecutive, unbeaten OTP Bank Liga matches - thanks to second-half strikes from Franck Boli, Oleksandr Zubkov and Endre Botka. This means they now sit on 63 points with seven matches remaining, nine points clear of MOL Fehérvar, who at least maintained a modicum of pressure on the league leaders by defeating Kisvárda 2-0 at home, Loic Nego and Nemanja Nikolc with the goals.

OTP Bank Liga, 27th round:

Debreceni VSC 1–1 Kaposvári Rákóczi FC (HT: 1–0)
Debrecen, ref.: Farkas Á.
Goalscorers: DEB: Szabó B. (6.), KAP: Borbély (87.)
Yellow cards: DEB: Kinyik (17.), Kundrák (22.), Bódi (72.), KAP: Ur (16.), Nagy R. (72.), Pogacsics (94.)
DVSC: Nagy S. – Habovda, Kinyik, Pávkovics, Ferenczi (Csősz, 46.) – Haris (Kusnyír, 13.), Tőzsér – Kundrák (Szécsi, 56.), Bódi, Szabó B. (Varga K., 55.) – Garba (Adeniji, 84.)
Kaposvár: Pogacsics – Vacthler (Nagy J., 67.), Ur, Szabó A., Hadaró (Fodor, 80.) – Nagy T. (Csiki, 67.) – Palic (Balázs, 59.), Szakály, Trebotic, Nagy R. (Borbély, 80.) – Ádám

Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC 0–2 Paksi FC (0–0)
Mezőkövesd
Goalscorers: PAKS: Könyves (50., 64.)
Yellow cards: MEZ: Pillár (45.), PAKS: Szakály D. (28.), Rácz (76.)

Mezőkövesd: Szappanos – Eperjesi (Farkas, 53.), Neszterov, Pillár, Vadnai – Pekár (Nagy D., 66.), Meszhi, Szeles (Jurina, 46.), Cseri (Vajda, 53.) – Zivzivadze (Takács T., 66.), Besirovic
Paks: Rácz – Osváth, Szélpál, Kelemen, Szabó J. – Szakály D. (Sajbán, 78.), Windecker, Balogh B. (Bertus, 72.) – Haraszti (Hahn, 60.), Böde (Kecskés, 79.), Könyves

MOL Fehérvár FC 2–0 Kisvárda Master Good (1–0)
MOL Aréna Sóstó, ref.: Andó-Szabó
Goalscorers: FEH: Nego (16.), Nikolic (87.)
Yellow cards: FEH: Nyári (20.), Stopira (41.), Nego (43.), Houri (48.), KIS: Viana (45+1.), Hej (63.), Gosztonyi (89.)

Fehérvár: Kovácsik – Rus (Hangya 73.), Musliu, Vinícius, Stopira – Pátkai, Nyári (Elek 62.) – Nego (Kovács I. 83.), Houri (Bamgboye 62.), Petrjak (Hodzic 62.) – Nikolic
Kisvárda: Dombó – Melnyik (Jelena 60.), Ene, Rubus, Baranyai – Lucas (Sassá 82.), Karaszjuk – Hej, Cukalasz (Kovácsréti 60.), Bumba (Tischler 60.) – Viana (Gosztonyi 60.)

Újpest FC 1–0 Budapest Honvéd FC (1–0)
Szusza Ferenc Stadion, ref.: Pillók
Goalscorer: Novothny (45+1.)
Yellow cards: Szakály P. (23.), Zsótér (54.)

Újpest: Banai – Pauljevic, Ristevski, Heris, Burekovic – Szakály P., Zsótér (Bacsa, 75.) – Simon K. (Csongvai, 64., Koszta, 93.), Perosevic (Perosevic, 62.), Nwobodo – Novothny
Honvéd: Levkovich – Mezgrani, Batik, Lovric, Uzoma (Aliji, 85.) – Kesztyűs, Hidi (Tóth P., 76.), Szendrei (Nagy G., 86.), Gazdag (Cipf, 85.) – Moutari, Ugrai (Lanzafame, 56.)

ZTE FC 2–0 Puskás Akadémia FC (0–0)
Zalaegerszeg, ref.: Vad II.
Golscorers: ZTE: Bobál G. (48.), Bobál D. (86.)
Yellow cards: ZTE: Katanec (20.), PUS: Slagveer (40.), Sós (56.), Spandler (89.)

ZTE FC: Demjén – Bolla, Szépe, Katanec, Tamás K. – Lesjak, Mitrovic (Kocsis, 82.) – Bőle (Ostrek, 90.), Radó (Ikoba, 90.), Babati (Bedi, 59.) – Bobál G. (Bobál D., 83.)
Puskás Akadémia FC: Tóth B. – Radics, Meissner, Spandler, Nagy Zs. – Urblík (Deutsch, 76.) – Slagveer (Sós, 46.), Plsek (Favorov, 57.), Knezevic, Gyurcsó – Vanecek (Mebrahtu, 46.)

Ferencvárosi TC 3–0 Diósgyőri VTK (0–0)
Groupama Aréna, ref.: Karakó
Goalscorers: FTC: Boli (54.), Zubkov (55.), Botka (83.)
Yellow cards: FTC: Botka (30.), Haratin (56.), Sigér (76.), DVTK: Rui Pedro (17.), Sestakov (91.)

Ferencváros: Dibusz – Lovrencsics, Otigba, Botka, Civic – Haratin (Vécsei, 61.), Sigér (Frimpong, 77.) – Zubkov (Nguen, 77.), Somália, Isael (Skvarka, 71.) – Boli (Siknevich, 71.)
Diósgyőr: Danilovic – Sesztakov, Polgár, Szűcs K., Vági – Hasani (Egerszegi, 75.), Márkvárt, Iszlai (Adukor, 64.), Kiss T. (Cortes, 64.) – Ivanovszki (Tabakovic, 75.), Rui Pedro (Molnár G., 61.)