After defeating Genk, our 36-time champion men's soccer team didn't have much time to prepare for the big match against the league leaders. The players returned from Belgium early Friday morning, but on Sunday afternoon, our defending champions were already facing Paks in the Fizz League. Robbie Keane tried to field a strong and fresh starting eleven: Dibusz – Makreckis, Gartenmann, Szalai, Raemaekeres, Nagy B. – Levi, Ötvös, Kanikovszki – Varga B., Joseph. Our team knew that even with a win, we would not be able to catch up with Paks in the standings, but a loss would have put us 7 points behind them. Before the match, to mark World Animal Day, the players from both teams and the referees took to the field with dogs from a shelter, and Barna Varga, who scored the winning goal in the UEL match against Genk, received the iFOREX Europe Player of the Month award for September.

First half

In the first minute, Lenny Joseph created two chances for us, first with a sharp pass to Kovácsik, then with a shot into the sky after a pass from Varga. The two hard-core fan groups organized a joint protest against the controversial decisions of the Hungarian Football Federation, so they did not cheer until the 5th minute, and only then did they take their places in the stands. In the 12th minute, we saw the first chance for the visitors, with János Szabó sneaking forward, receiving a ball at the corner of the box, chesting it down, and then curling it over the defenders and just wide of the right post. In the 19th minute, Gábor Szalai and Ákos Kinyik received yellow cards for a scuffle in front of the corner. In the 21st minute, Paks took the lead when a long ball from a free kick on the right found Milán Pető, who shot after controlling the ball. Dibusz could only punch the ball onto the right post, from where it rebounded into the net (0-1). Ötvös could have equalized from distance after Joseph's pass, but Kovácsik saved his 24-meter shot. In the 30th minute, the equalizer came when Nagy Barna made a great run down the left side and sent in a perfect cross to Varga Barna, who headed it into the goal (1-1). Two minutes later, Varga Levi nodded a free kick over the bar, and our team clearly signaled that we were still in it for a comeback before the end of the half. In the end, they were unable to do so, and the teams went into the break with the score at 1-1.

Second half

Joseph was replaced by Yusuf in the second half. Ötvös missed the first chance of the half, shooting wide of the right post from 12 meters, then committing a foul on the other side, earning a yellow card. In the 54th minute, Yusuf received a yellow card for diving, and in the same minute, Abu Fani replaced Levi for us. In the 61st minute, Abu Fani made a great pass to the Paks five-meter line, where Yusuf was left unmarked, but his header bounced off the ground into Kovácsik's hands. A minute later, Yusuf flashed again after a pass from Kanikovszki, but Kovácsik made a brilliant save for a corner, and the ball remained with the Paks goalkeeper after the corner kick. In the 68th minute, Keane made a double substitution, with Pesics and Tóth replacing Varga and Kanikovszki. Abu Fani teed up Pesics perfectly immediately after the substitution, but the Serbian striker shot into a defender after a feint, and Nagy Barna shot the rebound with his left foot just wide of the right post. In the 72nd minute, a brilliant attack ran across the pitch, Pesics passed to Tóth with a heel kick, who then played Yusuf after a feint, the Nigerian striker dribbled past his opponent and then passed to Pesics, but our player ruined the end of the action with a shot wide. In the 78th minute, Raemaekers threatened with a header, but his shot went wide of the left post. In the 82nd minute, Yusuf burst into the box, but only found the side netting. Gruber replaced Ötvös for the final push. In the 87th minute, after a huge save, we launched a great counterattack, Abu Fani played Pesic, who calmly shot into the goal (2-1). Paks was awarded a penalty right after the counterattack, following a video review, and Windecker converted it (2-2). Both teams tried to win in the end, but Gruber and Böde failed to score another goal with their feet and heads. The derby ended in a draw, with Paks remaining 4 points ahead of Ferencvaros in the table.