OTP Bank Liga: Zsótér inspires Újpest to victory in Kaposvár

(photo from MTI is from the FTC-Mezőkövesd OTP Bank Liga fixture the same day)

Kaposvári Rákóczi FC 2-3 Újpest FC (HT: 1-2)
Goalscorers: Balázs Zs. (5.), Ádám M. (53.), ÚJP: Zsótér (27.), Simon K. (43.), Nwobodo (49.),
Kaposvári Rákóczi FC: Slakta - Nagy J. (Vachtler, 70.), Szabó A., Nagy T., Fodor - Szakály A., Jakimiv (Nagy K., 62.) - Nagy R. (Poplatnik, 66.), Ádám - Balázs Zs., Beliczky
Újpest FC: Banai - Pauljevic, Heris, Ristevski, Burekovic - Onovo, Sankovic - Simon K. (Bjarnason, 78.), Zsótér (Balázs B., 85.), Nwobodo (Szakály P., 90.) - Feczesin

Újpest produced an impressive first-half comeback to defeat basement club Kaposvár

An excellent recovery from an early goal down saw Újpest take, extend and ultimately preserve a lead which saw them secure a 3-2 away win at Kaposvár.

The hosts' Zsolt Balázs opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute when he finished well past away-team goalkeeper Dávid Bánai and the Kaposvár striker could have doubled his tally soon after, only for his low, 18-metre shot to fly across goal and just wide of the far, right post. Újpest's first impact on the contest came in the 13th minute when good work from Nwobodo Obinna slid in Onovo Chukwuebuka, who squared the ball for Donát Zsótér to fire first-time against the right post and across the Kaposvár six-yard box to safety.

That let-off should have capitalised upon by the hosts in the 22nd minute when Martin Ádám was set free down the right wing and was aware enough to slip the ball across the pitch to an unmarked Gergő Beliczky bearing down on goal, but he could only cannon a bobbling ball against the Újpest crossbar. Instead, it was Újpest who struck the next blow, Zsótér taking possession in midfield just before the half-hour mark, advancing while moving the ball across to his left side and thumping a 25-metre howitzer past the right side of a motionless Balázs Slakta in the Kaposvár goal.

Zsolt Balázs could have restored the hosts' lead in the 37th minute but he tamely lifted the ball into Bánai's hands after a pass down the left channel found him free inside the penalty area and the young forward was granted yet another sight of goal in the 42nd minute but his low effort from a central position was well-saved. Kaposvár would be left to rue their strikers' profligacy just a minute later when a low shot from Zsótér was split and Krisztián Simon was on hand to tuck the ball into an empty net.

Újpest's delight would burgeon just two minutes into the second half when Obinna latched onto a through ball, rounded the goalkeeper and squeezed ball into the Kaposvár net from the tightest of angles - in off the far right post - but László Disztl's charges halved the deficit almost immediately when Richard Nagy's deep, inswinging cross from the left was flicked into the far right side of the goal by a stooping Martin Ádám ten metres out.

A hard-fought last 40 minutes ensued but clear chances were at a premium, Újpest striker Róbert Feczesin shooting low at Slatka from outside the area and his teammate, substitute Aron Bjarnason, shooting wastefully at Slatka moments later after surging onto Zsótér's through ball and running half the length of the pitch before reaching the Kaposvár goal.

The home team created their next moment of danger as the game belated opened up when a long free-kick into the Újpest box was headed across goal by Ádám, only for another substitute Matej Poplatnik to fail to divert the ball into a gaping net.

Ádám then had his chance to salvage a point as the game entered added time but his flicked header was deflected narrowly wide of the far right post, that proving to be the final goalmouth action in a 3-2 away win for Újpest. Kaposvár have now lost four matches in a row while the Lilac and Whites end a three-game run without a win.

Other results:

Puskás Akadémia FC 1-2 Budapest Honvéd FC (HT: 1-1)
Goalscorers: PUS: Gyurcsó (22.), HON: Lanzafame (6.), Gazdag (72.)
PAFC: Hegedüs L. - Huszti A. (Spandler 77.), Meissner, Hadzsiev, Nagy Zs. - Van Nieff - Sós (Kiss T. 65.), Henty, Knezevic, Gyurcsó - Vanecek (Tamás N. 87.)
Honvéd: Tujvel - Uzoma (Vadócz 70.), Batik, Kamber (Kálnoki-Kis 92.), Lovric, Aliji - Nagy G., Banó-Szabó (Moutari 52.), Gazdag, Kesztyűs - Lanzafame

ZTE FC 3-3 MOL Fehérvár FC (2-0)
Goalscorers: ZTE: Bobál G. (6., 25.), Lesjak (93.), FEH: Nego (51.), Hodzic (52.), Futács (83.)
Zalaegerszeg: Demjén - Bedi, Lesjak, Bobál D., Tamás (Gergényi, 38.) - Mitrovic, Kocsis - Radó (Devecseri, 54.), Stieber, Babati (Ikoba, 74.) - Bobál G.
Fehérvár: Kovácsik - Nego, Rus (Elek, 83.), Musliu, Hangya - Petrjak, Nikolov, Pantic (Pátkai, 59.), Kovács I. - Hodzic, Milanov (Futács, 74.)

Diósgyőri VTK 3-1 Kisvárda (1-0)
Goalscorers: DIÓ: Sesztakov (3.), Iszlai (62. pen), Rui Pedro (92. pen), KIS: Bumba (50.)
Diósgyőri VTK: Danilovic - Polgár, Brkovic, Karan, Tamás M. - Iszlai, Márkvárt - Sesztakov (Prosser, 51.), Rui Pedro, Korbély (Bacsa, 70.) - Hasani
Kisvárda: Felipe - Melnyik, Protic, Hej, Kravcsenko - Lucas, Cukalasz (Anderson Pico, 82.) - Gosztonyi (Sassá, 66.), Grozav, Bumba - Tischler (Hugo Seco, 33.)

Debreceni VSC 3-1 Paksi FC (2-0)
Goalscorers: DEB: Szécsi (28.), Kusnyír (33.), Kundrák (60.), PAK: Böde (81.)
Debreceni VSC: Nagy S. - Bényei (Kundrák, 57.), Kinyik, Pávkovics, Ferenczi - Szécsi (Pintér Á., 77.), Kusnyír, Csősz, Trujic, Haris - Adeniji (Szatmári, 88.)
Paksi FC: Rácz - Osváth, Lenzsér, Fejes, Szabó J. (Bor, 83.) - Windecker, Simon Á. (Balogh B., 46.) - Könyves, Papp K., Hahn - Böde

Ferencvárosi TC 1-1 Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC (1-0)
Goalscorers: FTC: Ihnatenko (9.), MEZ: Zivzivadze (49.)
Ferencvárosi TC: Dibusz - Lovrencsics, Botka, Blazic, Civic - Haratin, Ihnatenko (Leandro, 75.) - Zubkov, Isael (Bőle, 71.), Nguen (Varga R., 82.) - Boli
Mezőkövesd Zsóry FC: Szappanos - Farkas D., Pillár, Katanec, Silye - Pekár, Karnickij, Berecz, Cseri (Vajda, 82.) - Nagy D. (Takács T., 76.; Sajbán, 87.), Zivzivadze.