A single goal decides it against MTK again

In our opening match of the season we travelled to MTK Budapest at the Sándor Károly Football Academy. Although our results in pre-season gave us reason for optimism, we knew in advance that facing MTK would be far from easy. In our previous meetings with our Budapest rivals, we had managed one draw but had yet to beat the blue-and-whites.

In the fourth minute Anastasiia Myhal was played through and laid the ball back to Zágor. Both tried to create a shooting opportunity, but our players managed to clear. A minute later, Csigi headed Simona Horváthová's free-kick over the bar. As half-time approached, Maria Palama dealt with Adelina Molnár's throw-in. Shortly afterwards, Mészáros struck from more than twenty metres; although Krizsan dived, the ball went wide of the right post. Neither side fashioned a clear-cut chance in the first half, so the teams went into the break goalless.

After the restart, Horváthová took a corner won on the right and curled the ball towards goal, but MTK goalkeeper Evelin Erős gathered it comfortably. In the 57th minute, Legendás delivered a cross, but Nikolett Krizsan came decisively off her line and dealt with the danger. The first goal arrived in the 65th minute, unfortunately in MTK's favour: Cecília Mészáros unleashed a powerful shot from a good 25 metres into the top-right corner (1–0). Although we threatened in the closing stages, a long-range effort by Linett Bozsik sailed just centimetres over the bar.

We could not break our winless run against MTK, and our opening match of the season ended in a 1–0 defeat.

MTK BUDAPEST–KISPEST–HONVÉD FC 1–0 (0–0)

Sándor Károly Football Academy.Referee:Kovács Fanni (Hegedüs-Baráth Noémi, Fontányi Liza)

MTK BUDAPEST:Erős – Legendás, Csigi, Vajda, Pataki (Tenyei-Tóth 83') – Barkóczi, Farkas (Kern 66') – Mészáros, Zágor (Németh 66'), Molnár (Kovács 55') – Myhal (Simon 66'). HEAD COACH: Benjámin Lázár

KISPEST–HONVÉD FC:Krizsan – Nyul (Simon 66'), Palama, Williams, Krisztin – Murár (Borzák 77'), Horváthová (Bozsik 66'), Róth (Szilvási 88'), Csáki – Nagy P., Vachter. HEAD COACH: Balázs Dörnyei

Goal:Mészáros (65')

Balázs Dörnyei, head coach: “This was very much a match that could have ended in a draw. In the first half, I think both teams had perhaps one decent attempt each. I believe we dealt very deliberately and intelligently with what we had prepared for: how our opponents build their attacks. We kept MTK from creating chances, and they rarely got in behind us. The girls played with great discipline. Unfortunately, we conceded just as the game was becoming more even and we were beginning to take the initiative in the second half. The truth is that, apart from one or two good shots, we couldn't really threaten their goal. It is little consolation that they couldn't threaten ours much either. One exceptional shot decided the match.”

Rebeka Róth:“I think we had an extremely successful pre-season, improving week by week in both attack and defence. That makes it particularly painful that today we were a little weaker going forward than in last week's friendly. Defensively we were often well positioned again, and everyone put in the effort we expect from one another.”