Újpest win their 10th Hungarian Cup on penalties

It had been three years to the day that Újpest last won against Puskás Akadémia, head coach Vignjević shrugging off three league defeats against Attila Pintér’s team in the league this season by saying that those results counted for little, but even he might have been somewhat concerned at half-time as their opponents led 1-0 courtesy of a Josip Knežević goal.

The match had initially burst into life in the 14th minute, Branko Pauljević meeting a Dženan Bureković cross from the left, only to see his first-time shot crash off the crossbar and Bojan Sanković fire the rebound high over the top.

Puskás Akadémia might have taken the lead in the 23rd minute, Filip Pajović somehow managing to keep out a close-range Csaba Spandler effort that had taken a deflection off Branko Pauljević. Ezekiel Henty was next to try his luck, heading over from eight yards after being picked out by Knežević.

The opening goal would fall Puskás kadémia's way in the 38th minute though, the roles reversed as Ezekiel Henty slipped the ball into the box, Péter Szakály dummied and Knežević drilled the ball low into the corner of the net from 12 yards. The Croatian midfielder came close to doubling his team’s lead just three minutes later, heading over at the near-post following a Dejan Trajkovski cross.

Újpest turned the game on its head with two goals in a whirlwind eight minutes early in the second half. First, Donát Zsótér lashed an unstoppable left-foot drive into the roof of the net from distance in the 55th minute. Moments later, Lajos Hegedüs pulled off a fine save to deny Benjámin Balázs from point-blank range but he was helpless in the 62nd minute as Mijusko Bojović rose to plant a firm downward header into the left-corner of the net to give the Budapest side the lead.

Újpest joy was short-lived however, Antonio Perošević silencing the still-celebrating Újpest fans in the 66th minute as he stole in ahead of Bureković to reach a Balázs Balogh cross and fire a fine first-time volley past Pajović to restore parity. Finely poised, the match entered a lull of sorts thereafter, neither team able to break through well-organised opponents and it was no great surprise when the match went to extra time.

Both teams had opportunities to win the match in extra time, both goalkeepers pulling off fine saves to keep their teams level. First, Pajović denied Perošević at one end in the first half before Hegedüs did the same to Zsótér at the other in the second, but with nothing separating the teams, penalties – just like the last time Újpest won the cup in 2014 – were required to decide matters.

Both teams scored their first three, Onovo, Róbert Litauszki and Diallo for Újpest and Perošević, Stipe Bačelić-Grgić and Ulysse Diallo for Puskás Akadémia, before Balázs hit the bar with Újpest’s fourth and Henty fired over with his effort. With Zsótér scoring Újpest’s fifth, it left former Lilák midfielder Balázs Balogh with the task of keeping his side in it. That he duly did, but after Mijusko Bojović scored Újpest’s sixth penalty, Pajović dived low to his left to deny János Hegedüs and send the sizeable Újpest support into joyful raptures.

2018 Hungarian Cup final, Groupama Aréna, Budapest

Puskás Akadémia 2-2 Újpest (Újpest win 5-4 on penalties)

(After extra time. 1-0 at half-time, 2-2 after 90 minutes)

Goalscorers: PUS: Knežević (38’), Perošević (66’); ÚJP: Zsótér (55’), Bojović (62’)

Puskás Akadémia (4-2-3-1): Lajos Hegedüs (c) – Patrik Poór, János Hegedüs, Csaba Spandler, Dejan Trajkovski – Dávid Márkvárt (Stipe Bačelić-Grgić 117’), Balázs Balogh – Antonio Perošević, Josip Knežević (Ulysse Diallo 89’), Ezekiel Henty, Péter Szakály (Gábor Molnár 113’). Head coach: Attila Pintér

Újpest (4-2-3-1): Filip Pajović – Benjámin Balázs, Mijusko Bojović, Róbert Litauszki (c), Dženan Bureković (Alassane Diallo  91’) – Bojan Sanković, Vincent Onovo – Obinna Nwobodo, Donát Zsótér, Branko Pauljević – Soma Novothny (Patrik Tischler 108’). Head coach: Nebojša Vignjević