Honvéd hold out against Hamburg
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Article summary
Budapest Honvéd FC 0-0 Hamburger SV
Honvéd comfortably kept Hamburg at bay and were only denied a winner in the last minute by Frank Rost.
Article body
Budapast Honvéd FC kept their nerve to hold Hamburger SV in the first leg of their UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie.
Solidity
Honvéd drew both games against FC Nistru Otaci in the previous round before prevailing on penalties, and again showed their solidity when faced with the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners. Indeed, the first half passed without either side threatening to break the deadlock in the Hungarian capital.
Chances
It could have been Honvéd ahead two minutes into the second period when Zsolt Baranyos set Gellért Iváncsics free but his cross was turned over by Abraham Guie-Guie Gneki. Hamburg were thereafter on the back foot but in the last ten minutes they twice went close to grabbing an away goal. First Nigel de Jong headed against the corner of post and bar from a deep free-kick and then José Paolo Guerrero sprinted clear only to find Honvéd goalkeeper Iván Tóth equal to his low effort.
Rost save
A frantic end to the encounter continued when Iváncsics's curled free-kick was clawed away by Frank Rost in the Hamburg goal. That save ensured there would be all to play for in the return on 30 August in Germany which will be Honvéd's 50th fixture in this competition.
