Europa League: Anderlecht won in five minutes against Ferencváros

Ferencváros debuted in the eight-match Europa League regular season on Wednesday evening. The Hungarian champions started against Belgian side Anderlecht in Brussels in the pouring rain.

Fradi‘s starting line-up was no surprise. Four Hungarians were in the lineup: Dénes Dibusz in goal, Endre Botka and Gábor Szalai in defence, and Barnabás Varga in the forward line.

First half

The first shot was taken by Fradi but was blocked and the corner was not threatened in the fifth minute. Anderlecht responded with two shots on goal; the first one was easy for Dibusz, and the second one he had to bravely; he was left-footed into the bottom left corner.

In the 20th minute, Kady shot after a feint but was blocked by the Belgian defenders. Three minutes later, Anderlecht took a free kick from a dangerous position. The ball curled in well, and Dolberg headed over from four metres. In the 25th minute, Edonzie aimed for the bottom left corner from 18 yards. Dibusz cleared, and the onrushing Sardella returned the rebound from 14 yards, but he shot a metre over.

In the 35th minute, after a second Fradi corner, there was a slight scramble. The ball found Barnabas Varga, who shot it, but it hit the head of Cissé, who could not dive to clear the ball on its way to the goal.

In the 38th minute, Dibusz had to be on the spot again when Amuzu received a good start on the right flank and fired a sharp shot into the middle. The Hungarian goalkeeper had to clear it away from the onrushing strikers. Rommens had another shot from a good position, but the Belgian goalkeeper was on the spot again.

Second half

After the turnaround, the first quarter of an hour was relatively uneventful; Barnabás Varga had a chance but missed it because he had no power left to shoot after breaking inside the penalty area.

Anderlecht then took the lead in the 60th minute, somewhat unexpectedly.

Edonzie received an initiative on the left, took the ball inside the penalty area, and passed it to Stroykens, who finished for Verschaeren. The Belgian number ten placed the ball with his left foot, not with great power but very accurately to the bottom right from 18 yards. Dibusz spotted it too late, dived for it, and got in on it, but the goalpost helped the ball into the net.

Five minutes had not passed when Dibusz brilliantly flicked a Dolberg header into the bottom right. Edonzie collected the rebound, pushed it past Botka, and the defender, who had been hesitant in the game, kicked the striker. The referee blew the whistle for the penalty, and Dane Dolberg shot the ball from two steps very confidently and powerfully, and it went into the net for the first goal.

After the 70th minute, Fradi coach Pascal Jansen made three changes to his team, including the record-signing Brazilian Saldanha. Saldanha scored in the cup games against Budafok and MTK, but that was another level.

Ferencváros played the last ten minutes with a man advantage, with substitute Angulo picking up two yellow cards in a few minutes. In the 87th minute, Traoré sent back a short ball from ten meters out, headed into the net by Simic, who was trying to save. After the equalizer, there was no chance of an equalizer, and the four minutes of extra time passed without the Green and Whites even getting into the Belgian penalty area.

Fradi will have a chance to improve next week, although they need a brace against Tottenham to get the points. How Ferencváros will finish after the first round will be decided after Thursday’s game.

RSC Anderlecht – Ferencvárosi TC 2-1 (0-0)

goals: Verschaeren (60), Dolberg (66, from 11) and Traoré (86)

RSC Anderlecht: Coosemans – Sardella, Jörgensen, Simic, Ndiaye (Foket, 79.) – Verschaeren, Dendoncker, Stroeykens (Leoni, 69.), Edonzie (Ashimeru, 69.) – Amuzu (Angulo, 40.), Dolberg (Vázquez, 69.)

Ferencvárosi TC: Dibusz – Botka (Gartenmann, 76.), Cissé, Szalai, Ramírez (Civic, 76.) – Rommens, Abu Fani (Maiga, 71.) – Traoré, Zachariassen (Ben Romdan, 71.), Kady (Saldanha, 71.) – Varga B.

read also:

• UEL main round: Ferencváros vs Tottenham at home – full program details
• Ferencváros advance to Europa League group stage, Paks and Puskás Akadémia exit European competition, details HERE