After securing qualification in Yerevan on Thursday evening, DVSC travelled to face Újpest on Sunday afternoon in the 2nd round of OTP Bank Liga, with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees. Sergi Samper and Maximilian Hofmann missed the match due to injury, while DVSC fielded a starting XI featuring five academy graduates aged 21 or younger: Benedek Erdélyi, Gergő Tercza, Dávid Patai, Balázs Sain and Flórián Cibla.

DVSC made a confident start, winning several corners and playing attractive football. In the 10th minute, Ádám Lang headed just wide following a corner, and only a minute later our team took the lead. Dávid Patai made a cross from the left, Szappanos could only parry it, and Ákos Szendrei arrived to shoot the rebound into the net from close range, scoring his first goal for DVSC (0-1).

In the 15th minute, Dominik Kocsis fired wide from a great position after a fine team move as DVSC continued to impress with their energetic play. Four minutes later, Kocsis tested Szappanos again, but the Újpest goalkeeper produced an excellent save. Soon after, Josua Mejías also threatened with a header and our team remained firmly on top. However, Újpest equalised against the run of play. The assistant referee initially flagged for offside, and after a lengthy VAR review—during which it was unclear whether the technology was functioning, as the stadium screen later displayed several messages indicating it was unavailable—the goal was eventually awarded. Richmond Amenyido shot the ball into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-1.

Fifteen minutes before the break, Benedek Erdélyi produced a superb save to deny Stronati from close range as Újpest grew into the game following their equaliser. Then, deep into first-half stoppage time, our opponent took the lead. After a through ball that was close to offside, Krisztofer Horváth found the bottom-left corner from around 14 metres out to make it 2-1.

Adrian Guerrero came on at the start of the second half, with Balázs Dzsudzsák and Erik Kusnyir also introduced shortly afterwards, as DVSC looked to regain control of the match. Our team managed to do so at times, although the game was evenly balanced during this period.

In the 61st minute, however, Újpest struck again on the counter. Horváth finished off another quick attack, firing home from close range into the right side of the net to extend the lead to 3-1. DVSC responded through Balázs Dzsudzsák, whose powerful effort flew just wide, before Flórián Cibla was unable to hit the target from a clear-cut chance under pressure in the 67th minute. Sohan Baldoni and Márk Szécsi came off the bench for the closing stages, while Adrian Guerrero also went close with a dangerous effort. DVSC pulled one back in the 89th minute when Dzsudzsák’s cross from the right drifted into the far corner to make it 3-2. DVSC pushed hard for an equaliser, bu Jtosua Mejías’s header was brilliantly saved by Szappanos, but it was Újpest who scored again in stoppage time. Matko sealed the result with the hosts’ fourth goal, leaving DVSC empty-handed after a hard-fought contest.

The next match will be against the Danish Copenhagen FC in the Conference League on Thursday, starting from 7 pm at Nagyerdei Stadium.

According to the coach

Zoltán Szélesi: We have to keep this victory in perspective, just as we did with last week’s defeat. The first hydration break came at the right time, and after that we showed the level of performance we were looking for.

Gert Remmel: After scoring our opening goal, we created four clear-cut chances, but then we lost our momentum, which can happen in football. In the second half, we tried to get closer to our opponents by making substitutions, but in the end we couldn’t turn the game around. Now we need to stay calm, shut out the outside noise, and focus on preparing for the match against Copenhagen.

OTP Bank Liga, round 2.

Újpest-DVSC 4-2 (2-1).

Szusza-stadium, 4223 spectators. Referee: Bogár G.

Újpest: Szappanos – Sarkadi (Bodnár, 76.), Heitor, Stronati, Ujváry – Vlijter (Matko, 56.), Maier, Ljujic (Fenyő, 70.), Krajcsovics (Mucsányi, 56.) – Horváth K., Amenyido (Tijani, 70.). Head coach: Zoltán Szélesi.

DVSC: Erdélyi – Tercza (Kusnyir, 54.), Lang, Mejías, Keller (Guerrero, 46.) – Patai, Boskovic – Kocsis D. (Szécsi,, 77.), Sain (Dzsudzsák, 54.), Cibla – Szendrei Á. (Baldoni, 69.) Head coach: Gert Remmel.

Goal: Amenyido (26.), Horváth K. (45+1., 61.), Matko (95.) as well as Szendrei Á. (11.), Dzsudzsák (89.).

Yellow card: Mucsányi (91.) as well as Mejías (30.), Patai (49.), Cibla (68.), Boskovic (83.).