An important match awaited our team at Budafok in the 17th round of the Merkantil Bank Liga, after two of our pursuers, Vasas and Kecskemét, faced each other in the round’s big fixture. That meant a win could potentially have increased our lead at the top to seven or eight points.
Tamás Feczkó, however, could not call on the team’s top scorer Dominik Csontos, who had contributed a goal and an assist to the most recent win against Videoton FC Fehérvár. Our defender had collected his fifth yellow card, resulting in a one-match suspension. Experienced defender Branko Pauljevic therefore came into the starting XI. Alongside Csontos, Bonifác Csonka, István Pekár, Ákos Sigér and Ádám Gyurcsó were also among the absentees. There was no shortage of atmosphere: the teams were greeted by a nearly full house, and the away sector filled up even more than expected.
Budafok’s ambition was clear from the fact that the match began with a goal ruled out for offside. We then settled: in the 5th minute Medgyes found himself in a shooting position but, on his weaker foot, fired wide. In the 8th minute Hangya got down the left and switched the ball to Ujváry arriving at the far post, who headed home from close range to score his first competitive goal for Honvéd’s first team (0–1). In the 28th minute Budafok launched a dangerous counterattack, but Tujvel denied Dávid Kovács in a one-on-one with a superb split save to preserve our lead. In the 34th minute, at the end of a beautiful passing move, Medgyes missed when clean through. Five minutes after the restart Márió Németh took a free kick from a dangerous position, but instead of shooting he passed to Dávid Kovács bursting out of the crowd; Kovács laid it back and Varga thundered the ball under the crossbar with tremendous power, giving Tujvel no chance (1–1). The response could have come quickly: five minutes later Medgyes took a penalty, but Hársfalvi guessed the direction and produced a magnificent save, so the scores remained level. After an hour we were visibly able to increase the pressure on Budafok. First Hársfalvi saved a long-range effort from substitute Kállai, then Tibor Szabó headed Kevin Kántor’s excellent knock-down, but Hársfalvi, clearly enjoying an outstanding day, tipped the ball onto the crossbar. In the 78th minute, after a cross-field ball from Szamosi, Kállai shot over. In the 87th minute Pinte received a ricochet after Kállai’s throw-in, but our forward also fired over from sixteen metres. Even stoppage time brought a chance: Zuigeber broke free down the right and laid the ball off to Szamosi, but Budafok’s defenders managed to clear after his shot. In the other match Vasas beat Kecskemét 2–0, swapping places in the table. After 17 rounds we therefore lead Vasas by three points, Mezőkövesd by five and Kecskemét by six.
MERKANTIL BANK LIGA 2025/26, ROUND 17
Budafoki MTE–BUDAPEST HONVÉD FC 1–1 (0–1)
Promontor Street Stadium, 1,100 spectators. Referee: Gábor Iványi (Norbert Szilágyi, Dominik Dobos).
Budafok: Hársfalvi – Selyem, Kálnoki-Kis, Debreceni, Lapu – Posztobányi (Jagodics, 86.), Németh M. (Bukta, 75.) – Rehó, Varga B. (Stumpf, 75.), Hajdú R. (Gyurkó, 63.) – Kovács D (Vasvári, 63.). Head coach: Márk Nikházi
HONVÉD: Tujvel – Pauljevic, Baki, Szabó A. – Ujváry (Kállai, 61.), Szabó T., Szamosi, Hangya – Varga K. (Nyers, 61.), Kántor (Zuigeber, 72.), Medgyes (Pinte, 72.). Head coach: Tamás Feczkó
G: Varga B. and Ujváry (8.)
Tamás Feczkó:
We started the match very well and scored a lovely goal. We had the opportunity to get the second as well, but unfortunately those chances went begging. I really did not like the second part of the first half, because the home team picked up every second ball, the game was being played in our half and the hosts could even have equalised. The home side began the second half with a sensational goal, but after that I feel it became an end-to-end match in which we had the bigger chances. Even at the end of the game we had several opportunities that we should have converted. Budafok are a much better team than their position suggests. Based on the first half the result is fair, but because of our bigger chances we should have won. We have one more point next to our name, but the glass feels more half empty.
