Sopron Surges Past Pápai Perutz in Five-Goal Thriller to Seize Momentum in NB III Table

Under the fading autumn light at Városi Stadion, SC Sopron delivered a performance that was equal parts defiance and ambition, overturning a late scare to claim a 3-2 victory over Pápai Perutz and tighten their grip on seventh place in the NB III Northwest division. Far from the league’s top, the match nonetheless pulsed with urgency—a clash of teams seeking upward trajectory after middling campaigns.

Sopron came into Sunday’s contest licking their wounds from a slim 0-1 defeat at Zsámbéki SK, but with three wins in their last five fixtures, confidence was growing in the camp. Pápai Perutz, meanwhile, arrived in the throes of inconsistency, their last outing a flat 0-2 home loss to Komárom—a microcosm of a season defined by promise punctuated with setback.

From kickoff, both sides played with the knowledge that a result here would sharpen their identities for the weeks to come. Sopron, the hosts, seized the initiative early. Their pressure soon paid off with a well-worked goal in the 17th minute, when Dániel Károly—whose movement in the final third had tormented defenders all autumn—finished crisply after a clever interchange that carved open the Perutz backline.

However, Pápai Perutz proved they would not be cowed. Spurred on by their traveling support, they found space down the left midway through the first half, with Attila Simon stunning the home crowd in the 31st minute. Simon latched onto a cross after a failed clearance, his finish low and forceful to level the score, a testament to Perutz’s grit and refusal to accept their underdog status.

The first half’s tempo never wavered. Both teams flirted with danger, but it was Sopron who struck next, reasserting their advantage before the interval. In the 43rd minute, Bence Szabó—a stalwart in midfield—rose highest to meet a curling corner, his header sailing past a stranded keeper, sending Sopron into the break with a 2-1 edge.

The second half opened with both sides recalibrating defensive priorities, but Sopron’s desire to kill the match showed as they pressed high. Their persistence bore fruit in the 59th minute, when substitute Ádám Varga pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box, firing a driven shot that rippled the net with authority. The goal, Sopron's third, appeared decisive, yet Perutz refused to fade.

The visitors clawed their way back, sparked by a moment of individual defiance from Gergő Horváth in the 77th minute. Horváth, undeterred by the two-goal deficit, danced past two defenders and unleashed a curling effort that narrowed the margin. With the score now 3-2, the contest's complexion shifted: Perutz pressed forward, seeking an equalizer, while Sopron clung to their lead, riding out a tense final period that saw desperate clearances and a yellow card apiece for time-wasting and dissent.

Crucially, neither side saw red, though tempers flared in stoppage time as the stakes became tangible. The final whistle brought release for Sopron, their fifth win in ten league matches, vaulting the club to 16 points and consolidating seventh place. For Perutz, the defeat compounds their worries: with just 10 points from ten matches, they remain rooted in eleventh place, their season’s ambitions drifting further from reach.

This result not only affects current standings but echoes the narrow margins that have defined recent head-to-head encounters. Sopron’s win today mirrors their earlier road triumph at Újpest II and marks a resurgence since their early September setback against Puskás II. For Perutz, the loss continues a frustrating pattern: only scattered wins punctuate a string of defeats, demanding introspection as they face a perilous stretch with the specter of relegation lurking behind.

Looking ahead, Sopron will see this victory as the blueprint for a late-autumn surge. The attack is finally stringing together meaningful phases, and a defense still prone to lapses proved resilient in the closing stages—a balance they will need against more robust opposition. Perutz, conversely, must rediscover the spark that led them to a 3-1 victory at Balatonfüredi just weeks ago, harnessing individual quality into sustained collective effort.

With much of the NB III season still to play, Sunday’s five-goal drama at Városi Stadion serves as a vivid reminder: mid-table battles can matter as much as the summit, especially when identity and momentum are at stake. Sopron marches forward, emboldened. Perutz will be forced to regroup, with every match now bearing greater significance in their campaign to climb clear of the danger zone.