Balatonfuredi defeated Budai Farkasok 29:25 in the opening match of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I season on Friday evening. The away side claimed all three points in front of their own supporters, who watched their team fall short despite a competitive performance.
Both clubs arrived at this fixture having played zero league games, with zero points on the board. The standings simply show twelve for the hosts and four for the visitors — positions that will shift once the table fills out over the coming weeks.
And here's the thing, this result closes a mixed run for both sides. Budai Farkasok had won three of their last five matches before this one, including a 31:29 victory over Tatran Presov in late July. Balatonfuredi, meanwhile, lost two of their last five, with defeats away to KS Minaur Baia-Mare and Győr standing out.
By then, the prediction market had backed the home side at 51 per cent confidence. That assessment proved wide of the mark, as Balatonfuredi found the net more frequently and held on for the victory.
to be fair, the final margin tells only part of the story. A four-goal difference suggests a contest that could have swung either way, rather than a comfortable win for the visitors.
The result leaves both teams still searching for their first league points, but Balatonfuredi takes the early advantage with a win on the road.