Hungarian League, Round 7: Top two trip up as Haladás hit form

Title-holders Ferencváros stuttered again but so did rivals Vasas as four of the six NBI matches ended in stalemate this last weekend. We round up the action here.

Ferencváros-Mezőkövesd 2-2 (1-0)

Goalscorers: FTC: Djuricin (10.), Nagy D. (83.), MEZ: Hudák (63.), Bacelic-Grgic (79.)

Ferencváros started the match the busier of the two teams and took an early lead through Marco Djuricin but couldn’t extend that lead despite six shots on target in the first 45 minutes. The game continued in the same direction after the break and therefore it was a surprise when Mezőkövesd equalised, perhaps predictably from a set-piece which Dávid Hudák converted. This stunned Fradi and worse for them was to follow when Stipe Bacelic-Grgic set up his team for a glorious away win in the Groupama Aréna with his team’s second goal, only for youngster Dominik Nagy to rescue his club’s blushes with a solo goal to make it 2-2. Try as they might, the home team couldn’t take all three points so at least Mezőkövesd manager Attila Pintér left his former club with a point.

DVTK 1-1 Vasas (1-1)

Goalscorers: Bacsa (34.), VAS: Ádám (37.)

Vasas travelled to the city of Miskolc to face eighth-placed Diosgyőr on the back of two victories against capital-city rivals to face an opponent shorn of their coach in the dugout due to a suspension. There was barely any goalmouth action until the 34th minute when Patrik Bacsa scored a superb solo goal to give the hosts the lead. A couple of minutes later though, Martin Ádám restored parity with a powerful strike from 20 metres out. Both sides had chances in the second half but neither could find a winner so both took a deserved point from the fixture.

Újpest FC 0-0 MTK Budapest

The home team were on a four-match winning streak while MTK had won just once – in their last outing against Videoton – since the start of the season but both teams cancelled each other out in an uneventful first half. That changed in the second period as both sides attacked but the scoreline stayed the same, Újpest goalkeeper Szabolcs Balajcza saving from Ádám Hrepka in the 75th minute to help ensure a goalless draw.

Budapest Honvéd 0-0 Gyirmót

No doubt last season’s NBII champions will be the happier to emerge with one point from this fixture against a Honvéd team who have started the campaign impressively. The Bozsik Stadion saw their favourites dominate the first section of the match but goals were absent and indeed Gyirmót also sporadically threatened on the counter-attack. Honvéd came out with renewed vigour in the second half, possessing the ball more and attacking with verve but every chance fizzled out and thus the game remained devoid of goals until the end.

Swietelsky Haladás 3-1 Paksi FC (1-1)

Goalscorers: HAL: Gaál (28.), Williams (68.), Gévay (72., own goal), PAK: Koltai (15., pen.)

The opening exchanges here were equal but Paks seized the initiative when Tamás Koltai converted a 15th-minute penalty. That sparked Haladás into life and they equalised just before the half-hour mark when Bálint Gaál before taking a decisive second-half lead through Joel Williams’ accurate finish and Zsolt Gévay’s unfortunate own goal. Zsolt Haraszti gave them a late scare but couldn’t level the scores, Géza Mészőly’s team holding on to take all three points and continue their fine form.

Videoton FC-DVSC 5-1 (2-1)

Goalscorers: VID: Lang (23. and 57.), Géresi (33.), Feczesin (73. and 90.), DEB: Ferenczi (14.)

Hosts Videoton started the game in more dangerous fashion than Debrecen but it was the visitors who took the lead with their first attack, János Ferenczi providing the finishing touch. That only motivated Vidi though and they came roaring back to take the lead before half-time courtesy of Ádám Lang from close range and Krisztián Géresi, before stretching their lead in the second half through Lang’s super strike after a corner and a late double from former Hungary striker Róbert Feczesin, the first cleverly set up by a rampaging Géresi on the wing.

Next weekend there will be no matches due to extended preparation for the Hungarian national team’s forthcoming World Cup qualifier away against the Faroe Islands, so the next round of NBI fixtures will come on 10th September when Videoton host Haladás, Újpest travel to Debrecen, MTK entertain Budapest rivals Ferencváros in Hungary’s original ‘Eternal Derby’, Honvéd head to Mezőkövesd, Gyirmót play at home against Diosgyőr and Vasas look to return to winning way against visitors Paks.

Photo: MTI

Source: MLSZ – press release