Exciting game results in a point picked up away at FTC

In the 25th round of the OTP Bank Liga we played as guests of FTC at 16:30 on Sunday at the Groupama Arena. Bartosz Grzelak was on the managers bench for the second time, our Swedish head coach couldn't count on Mátyás Katona due to suspension, and Attila Fiola had surgery during the national team break, so the team was Kovács D. - Bese, Csongvai, Stopira, Heister - Dárdai, Flores, Christensen - Kastrati, Kodro, Schön.

The game started excitingly, in the 2nd minute Kovács made a great save from Sagal's long range shot, and five minutes later following a Kastrati corner, Stopira left everyone standing and scored a trademark header to give our team the lead (0-1)!

Of course, the home side immediately started to attack for an equaliser, with Zachariassen threatening twice between the 10th and 30th minutes, and Sagal and Gojak also going close - to no avail. After half an hour the ball was again at the Norwegian midfielder's feet and this time he shot at goal from 15 metres. Two minutes later, Traoré headed over and at the end of the first half, Kodro's shot was saved by Dibusz and Schön slotted the rebound into the net, but after a lengthy VAR review, Kodro's shoulder arm was seen to be further forward than the last FTC defender's heel and the goal was disallowed.

Stanislav Cherchesov made two changes at the break, and it turned out that the Russian head coach's changes were unfortunately the right ones. The new coach sent on young Krisztián Lisztes and Péter Baráth to replace Esiti and Botka. The half started with a great Lisztes situation, but the young player could not find the goal. However, in the 59th minute, the substitute scored after a cross from the left (1-1), then Csongvai lost the ball to Traore, the Malian player put Lisztes in a great position to score his second goal in the 70th minute (2-1). In between the two goals, Dárdai and Zachariassen tried to score, and for us, Pokorny and Makarenko came on in the 67th minute for Christensen and Dárdai.

But we didn't give up, we went forward with honesty, and the result was the same: in the 79th minute, Makarenko ran on to a great cross from Schön and headed the ball into the net from five meters (2-2)! Nego and Larsen came on for Schön and Kastrati towards the end, and FTC scored but it was not given and after five minutes of extra time, referee Bogár blew for full time. In an exciting match, we got a point at the Gropuama Arena.