OTP Bank Liga: Vidi loss leaves Fradi top over winter

League leaders Ferencváros got off to a fantastic start against Mezőkövesd at the Groupama Aréna, Italian striker Davide Lanzafame putting them ahead after only 37 seconds. Restricted to only a couple of half-chances in the first forty-five minutes, they appeared livelier after the break, but once again Mezőkövesd held firm and the game reverted to a scrappy, midfield battle.

Fradi appeared to have secured all three points when Lanzafame slid in for his second of the game and eighth of the season with only 11 minutes remaining, but that was only one of four late goals – two for either side – which kept the crowd on tenterhooks right until the final whistle. Tamás Cseri got Mezőkövesd back in the game from the penalty spot before a Roland Varga penalty had Fradi 3-1 up, but with Dániel Vadnai firing home in the 91st minute, it made for a nervy last couple of minutes for the home crowd.

Újpest took a commanding 2-0 first-half lead against Vidi, the deadlock being broken when Soma Novothny capitalised on a short pass-back by Attila Fiola in the 26th minute. Obinna Nwobodo doubled the home side’s lead just seven minutes later, and despite the visitors looking more dangerous after making three substitutions before the mid-way point of the second half, there were no further goals as Vidi fall further behind Ferencváros, and Újpest climb to fifth.

Honvéd remain third following their 2-0 defeat away to Debrecen. Ádám Bódi gave Loki the lead just before half-time, and Márk Szécsi made sure of the points in the 78th minute. Honvéd have 28 points, one ahead of MTK, Újpest and Debrecen on 27. MTK comfortably defeated bottom club Haladás 4-0 at the Új Hidegkuti Stadion, Ákos Baki, László Lencse, Dániel Gera and Balázs Farkas the scorers as the blue and whites got back on track following their surprise midweek cup defeat at the hands of third-division Ajka.

Puskás Akadémia and Paks shared the points at the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút, a result which sees both teams remain 9th, and 8th, respectively. Ex-Újpest man Mohamed Remili gave the visitors a 32nd minute lead, one which the held on to until the dying moments, surviving a Tamás Báló red card in the 72nd minute until Bacana Arabuli grabbed the equalising goal in the 94th minute.

Relegation-threatened Diósgyőr and Kisvárda also played out a 1-1 draw, a result which suited neither team. Slovak midfielder Martin Juhar gave Diósgyőr a fortuitous 14th minute lead but Kisvárda were the stronger of the two teams, dominating possession and restricting the home side to only a couple of toothless counter-attacks, and duly equalised through Brazilian forward Sassá just after half and hour. Kisvárda were reduced to

ten men with the sending off of Pavlo Lukyanchuk, but with neither side able to score an all-decisive second goal the Miskolc side remain in tenth, one point ahead of their opponents in 11th.

Ferencváros 3-2 Mezőkövesd (1-0)

Goalscorers: FER: Lanzafame (1’, 79’), R. Varga (87’ pen); MEZ: Cseri (83’ pen), Vadnai (91’)

Ferencváros: Dibusz - Lovrencsics G., Blazic, Otigba, Heister - Sigér, Gorriarán (Rui Pedro, 89’) - Varga R., Lanzafame, Petrjak (Bőle, 84’) - Böde (Leandro, 61’)

Mezőkövesd: Szappanos - Farkas D., Pillár, Szalai A., Silye (Mesi, 44.) - Vadnai, Szeles - Cseri, Molnár G., Vajda (Szakály D., 64’) - Drazic

Újpest 2-0 Vidi (2-0)

Goalscorers: Novothny (26’), Nwobodo (33’)

Újpest: Pajovic - Pauljevic, Litauszki, Ristevski, Balázs B. - Sankovic, Onovo - Nwobodo (Lukács, 93’), Zsótér (A. Diallo, 79’), Beridze (Nagy D., 90’) - Novothny

Vidi: Kovácsik - Fiola (Kovács I., 66’), Juhász R., Vinícius, Stopira - Hadzic, Pátkai (Nikolov, 55’) - Nego, Huszti (Hodzic, 55’), Milanov - M. Scepovic

Debrecen 2-0 Honvéd (1-0)

Goalscorers: Bódi (43’), Szécsi (78’)

Debrecen: Nagy - Kusnyír (Kinyik, 78’), Pávkovics, Szatmári, Ferenczi - Varga K., Csősz, Haris, Bódi (Jovanovic, 82’) - Avdijaj (Takács T., 87’), Szécsi

Honvéd: Gróf - Heffler, Batik, Kamber, Skvorc - Gazdag, Hidi, Nagy G. (Májer, 57’) - Banó-Szabó, Tischler (N'Gog, 58’), Holender

MTK Budapest 4-0 Haladás (1-0)

Goalscorers: Baki (5’), Lencse (48’), Gera (57’), Farkas B. (87’)

MTK Budapest: Kicsak - Baki, Balogh Bé., Szelin, Katona M. - Vass Á. - Gera, Vogyicska, Bognár I. (Deutsch, 85’), Schäfer (Farkas, 73’) - Lencse (Torghelle, 61’)

Haladás: Rózsa - Habovda, Kolcák (Rácz, 58’), Tamás L., Bosnjak - Jagodics, Benes - Mészáros, Jancsó, Ofosu (Bambgoye, 46’) - Priskin (Gaál, 77’)

Puskás Akadémia 1-1 Paks (0-1)

Goalscorers: PUS: Arabuli (94’); PAK: Remili (32’)

Puskás Akadémia: Danilovic - Osváth (Radó 67’), Szolnoki, Hegedűs J., Poór, Trajkovski - Urblík, Varga J., Mioc (Arabuli 46’) - Kiss T. (Latifi 79’), Knezevic

Paks: Rácz G. - Kővári, Lenzsér, Gévay, Fejes (Báló 56’) - Papp K., Kecskés T., Bertus - Remili (Egerszegi 86’), Hahn (Szabó J. 79’), Bartha

Diósgyőr 1-1 Kisvárda (1-1)

Goalscorers: DIÓ: Juhar (14’); KIS: Sassá (32’)

Diósgyőr: Bukrán - Brkovic, Karan (Tóth B., 85’), Tamás M. - Sesztakov, Szabó B. (Mihajlovic, 57’), Márkvárt, Tajti, Juhar - Hasani - Vernes (Bacsa, 73’)

Kisvárda: Felipe - Lukjancsuk, Beriosz, Ene, Priotic - Karaszjuk, Ilic (Izing, 90’), Lucas, Sassá (Gosztonyi, 74’) - Milevszkij (Melnyik, 55’), Horváth Z.