Ferencváros have come into their next UEFA Europa League league phase game against Red Bull Salzburg in quite great shape, having collected four points in two games. That is especially true compared to RB Salzburg, who had lost both of their games prior.
The Austrian side was once the undisputed ruler of Austrian football. They won 10 championship titles in a row between 2014 and 2023, but came in runner-ups in the last two seasons. Still, for reasons no man can fully comprehend, they were included in the field of the new iteration of the FIFA Club World in the United States in the summer.
However, RB Salzburg have retained their status as an excellent club to develop young talent, even more so than FTC’s previous EL opponent, KRC Genk. Hungarian national team captain and Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai, Manchester City’s Norwegian ‘goal machine’ Erling Haaland, Bayern Munich midfielder Konrad Laimer, and even Champions League winner Naby Keita currently playing for Ferencváros have all played for them at the early stages of their careers.
As for the game, it was played on 23 October—the day Hungarians commemorate the anniversary of the 1956 Budapest Revolution—at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria.
The home side managed to convert the first chance of the game, as the FTC defence failed to properly clear the ball, giving Edmund Baidoo the chance to drive it into the bottom near corner from 19 yards out in the 13th minute. Ferencváros had a golden opportunity to level the score just nine minutes later. However, Hungarian international Barnabás Varga’s penalty (given for a clear handball) was saved by RB Salzburg goalie Alexander Schlager. Despite his fantastic goal-scoring record this season, Varga missed two penalties in back-to-back games in the Europa League against Genk and Salzburg.
Varga soon made amends in the second half. He scored the equalizer for the Hungarian champions in the 50th minute. The header specialist used his right foot this time to put away a cross into the box by Bence Ötvös.
Ferencváros really stepped on the gas at the beginning of the first half. Despite trailing at the break, they were up by two by the 58th minute! First, it was long-time Fradi player Kristoffer Zachariassen, not Varga, who scored a header this time, in the 56th minute (a symbolic number on this day); then recent signing Bamidele Yusuf converted his breakaway in the 58th.
Yorbe Vertessen got one back for Red Bull Salzburg in the 72nd minute—however, it was not enough. Both sides had chances left in the game (the biggest one was a close-range header missed by Vertessen), but none were converted. Ferencváros continue their hot run in the Europa League, posting their second win in the league phase and defending their unbeaten record.
The Hungarian team also scored a sort of moral victory after Austrian authorities refused to let the special charter train carrying around 500 Fradi fans enter the country. Up next for head coach Robbie Kean’s boys: the Bulgarian side PFC Ludogorets Razgrad at home two weeks from now, whom they already knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season.
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