We closed the 2024/2025 Merkantil Bank Liga season with a Budapest derby, visiting promotion-chasing Vasas.
Compared with the 3–0 win over Kisvárda, Zsombor Bévárdi returned to the starting line-up after suspension, alongside Ádám Szamosi, Zoltán Medgyes and Bonifác Csonka, while Gergő Rácz guarded the Honvéd goal in a league match for the fourth time. Ákos Baki, Dominik Csontos, Barna Kesztyűs and Tamás Csillus, however, remained unavailable to Tamás Feczkó because of injury.
There could be no complaints about the atmosphere: the away sector was completely full, just as it had been for the rest of our away matches this season.
The Angyalföld side took the field knowing they had to collect more points than Kazincbarcika, who were playing away at Kisvárda. Yet it was our team who created the chances: The first major opportunity came in the 18th minute. After a scramble following a corner, the ball fell to Patrik Pinte, who curled a first-time effort towards the far corner from six metres, but Molnár produced a sharp reflex save to turn it behind. A few minutes later we threatened again: Szamosi and Pinte carried the ball through midfield before Bévárdi found space to shoot on the right side. He tried a low effort from a few metres outside the box, but it went wide of Molnár’s goal. Chances for Kispest kept coming in this period. In the 23rd minute Medgyes tested Molnár, the Vasas goalkeeper pushed the ball aside, Bévárdi lofted it back into the middle and Simon struck first time but wide. Ninety seconds later Simon had another chance: both he and Molnár raced for a through ball, and the goalkeeper eventually kicked it into Simon, from whom it ricocheted wide. The first 30 minutes clearly belonged to our team: the Angyalföld goalkeeper was called into action several times while our opponents had not even managed a shot. In the 34th minute the red-and-blue keeper was busy again, catching Bévárdi’s inswinging free kick from the left at the near post. The half ended with another Kispest chance as the ball came from the right to Pinte, but Molnár made a fine save and the teams went into the break goalless.
Barely ninety seconds after the restart, Otigba fouled Simon inside the penalty area, and Bévárdi smashed the penalty into the right side of the net to give us the lead (0–1). Bévárdi could almost have doubled his tally immediately after Pinte played him in on the right, but our player was forced wide and Molnár produced a superb save. Vasas responded almost at once: Urblík held off two defenders after Tóth’s pass and fired into the far corner (1–1). In the 64th minute we were ahead again. Bévárdi curled the ball in from the right and Szilveszter Hangya got in front of everyone to turn it into the net (1–2). Like Bévárdi, Hangya had scored against his former club, and our captain also netted his first goal in a Honvéd shirt. Unfortunately our lead did not last long. In the 64th minute Tóth Milán crossed and Girsik arrived at the far post, sliding the ball into the net (2–2). The drama continued in stoppage time. Tóth Milán was sent off for dissent, and almost immediately Noel Keresztes broke through one-on-one, only for Molnár to make a brilliant save before the rebound came back off the post. Angyalföld also had a match point, but Otigba’s header flashed across goal and Zimonyi, arriving at the far post, could not reach it. The match ended 2–2, which also confirmed that we will meet Vasas again next year in the Merkantil Bank Liga.
MERKANTIL BANK LIGA 2024/25, ROUND 30
Budapest, Illovszky Rudolf Stadion, 4,109 spectators, Referee: Tamás Bognár (Vencel Tóth II, B. Szalai)
VASAS FC–BUDAPEST HONVÉD 2–2 (0–0)
VASAS FC: Molnár Zs. – Pávkovics, Otigba, Baráth B. (Lehoczky, 78.), Doktorics – Cseke B. (Zimonyi, 88.), Urblík, Berecz – Barkóczi (Girsik, 46.) B., Németh B., Tóth M. Head coach: Attila Pintér
BUDAPEST HONVÉD: Rácz G. – Pauljevics, Szabó A., Csonka B. (Sigér, 46.) – Bévárdi, Szamosi, (Somogyi, 71.), Pekár, Hangya (Pintér, 83.) – Simon B. (Keresztes, 58.), Pinte (Kántor, 58.), Medgyes. Head coach: Tamás Feczkó
Goals: Urblík (52.), Girsik (66.), and Bévárdi (49. – penalty), Hangya (64.)
Sent off: Tóth M. (90+5.).
Tamás Feczkó: Anyone who plays football wants to be part of a match with an atmosphere like this. Full credit to the referees, they controlled the game superbly. The first half clearly belonged to us and we definitely wanted to win. It is frustrating that we led twice but Vasas equalised almost immediately each time. Based on the second half, the draw is fair.
Attila Pintér: We came back into the match twice and could have decided the three points. We did not play well in the first half; one or two players could not handle the pressure. A team that cannot take its chances – and I do not mean only today’s match – cannot win promotion.
Match highlights:
