Match Report: Ujpest win the MOL Hungarian Cup

The MOL Hungarian Cup final was played on Monday evening at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. We were up against Ujpest FC. It was 39 years ago that we played our first cup final against Ujpest in a match that the team from the capital won 2-0. We have gone on to reach the cup final five times since then and lifted the trophy twice. Those came in 2006 against Vasas and recently against Honved in 2019. It has been a long time since supporters attended a game and there were around 4000 inside the stadium for the 20:00pm kick off. Manager Imre Szabics fielded the following eleven: Kovács – Bolla, Rus, Musliu, Stopira – Funsho, Nego, Pinto, Petryak – Zivzivadze, Nikolic.

The final began fairly balanced with there not really being a serious chance at either end. There were plenty of battles around the pitch as both sides tried to gain the upperhand. A 20th minute cross from Petryak was headed over by Nikolic from 7 meters out. Ten minutes later and the first corner of the matgch fell to Ujpest. Croizet miskicking when well placed. Funsho's pass to Zivzivadze after 39 minutes ended with the forward shooting wide of the left post from around 8 meters out. Two minutes before the half time whistle, Nego gave Petryak a very good ball and his shot from 15 meters was comfortably collected by Ujpest keeper Pajovic. Onovo made a very strong challenge on half time, which resulted in both teams squaring up but things settled down and the referee blew for half time with the score at 0-0.

No changes were made at half time with Petryak taking a corner on 52 minutes, which was met by the volley of Nego, but his shot was blocked from 19 meters. At the other end, Croizet shot over from 28 meters after 55 minutes. A minute later and Beridze dribbled himself into a chance before shooting with his right foot, but the ball sailed across the face of the goal. The second half had more live in it than the previous 45 minutes. 

A counter attack on 66 minutes ended with Berdize bringing Tallo into possession and he fell to the ground besides Nego, but the referee waved play on. That brought protests from the Ujpest bench and Baosics was shown a red card and he left the bench and headed down the tunnel. Manager Oenning was shortly after shown a yellow. Keeper Dani Kovacs made the save of the game after 71 minutes when a ball from Mitrovic saw Beridze shoot from 11 meters but our keeper was equal to it. 

We went very close to taking the lead after 82 minutes when a good cross from Petryak was headed wide of goal from close range by Zivzivadze. Ujpest also went close at the other end when Antonov blasted his shot just over the bar from 22 meters. The game turned close to the end of 90 minutes when Adrian Rus was shown his second yellow and Vidi were reduced to ten men. 

Extra time loomed just as it did back in 2006 but this time we went in the additional 30 minutes with a man down. That sadly became two as Alef was shown two quick yellow cards, which resulted in Vidi playing the remainder of the game with nine men after 97 minutes of play. Antonov then curled a free kick over the bar two minutes later from 23 meters. The breakthrough for Ujpest came two minutes later. Kastrati finding the corner of the net with a low strike from 18 meters to make it 0-1.

There was no real way back as Ujpest saw out the rest of the match with a Beridze shot in the final 10 minutes being blocked. Tallo sent his shot wide of the post while Krisztian Simon shot into the side netting.

Ujpest won the MOL Hungarian Cup with a 1-0 scoreline and a winning goal in extra time