Ferencváros advance to Europa League group stage, Paks and Puskás Akadémia exit European competition

Photo: MTI

Hungarian league champions Ferencváros will fly the flag for Hungary in Europe this season after defeating Borac of Bosnia in the play-off round, but Paks and Puskás Akadémia will put away their passports for another year after both were knocked out of the European Conference League.

Ferencváros needed a penalty shootout to overcome Borac Banja Luka after Barnabás Varga’s penalty had cancelled out Grahovac’s extra-time opener following a goalless 90 minutes in the Groupama Aréna in Budapest, MLSZ said.

Indeed, the first leg in Bosnia had been a goalless draw too, but the 30 minutes of extra time in the second leg at least produced two goals, Grahovac’s against the run of play in the 104th minute and Varga’s spotkick seven minutes later after Manolovic had fouled Ferencváros’s Kady in the penalty area.

The ensuing shootout was typically dramatic, with Fradi prevailing 3-2 to secure a sixth consecutive season of group-stage football in European competition and the fourth in a row in the Europa League.

Puskás Akadémia vs Fiorentina

In Thursday night’s other fixtures invoving Hungarian teams, Puskás Akadémia held Italian giants Fiorentina to another impressive draw, Zsolt Nagy’s 97th-minute penalty kick cancelling out Moses Kean’s earlier strike to earn a 1-1 draw at home in the Puskás Aréna after a 3-3 result in Italy last week, only for the Felcsút club to lose the resulting penalty shootout 5-4.

Paks vs Mlada Boleslav

Meanwhile, Paks suffered a more comprehensive defeat at the hands of Czechia’s Mlada Boleslav, the good work of a 2-2 first-leg away draw last week going to waste as a 3-0 loss at home meant last season’s Hungarian Cup winners were knocked out 5-2 on aggregate.