Debrecen clinch Hungarian title

Debreceni VSC won the Hungarian 1. Liga for the third year running with a match to spare after coasting to a comfortable 4-1 success against struggling Rákospalotai EAC on Monday night.

Early advantage
The club from the eastern part of the country have an unassailable eight-point lead over MTK Budapest with two games remaining after bouncing back from last week's demoralising Hungarian Cup final defeat by Budapest Honvéd FC in style. Peter Szilagyi put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute with a solo effort and Hungarian international winger Leandro doubled the advantage with a crisp shot from just inside the area moments before the half-hour.

Late cushion
REAC, who are 13th in the 16-team top flight, reduced the deficit three minutes before the hour through Krisztian Nyerges's close-range header but Brazilian-born Leandro restored Debrecen's two-goal cushion with 18 minutes left. Playmaker Balazs Dzsudzsak then rounded off a fine victory in the 82nd minute. Debrecen won the title for the first time in 2005 and, having landed their third successive championship, will now enter the first qualifying round of next season's UEFA Champions League.