UEFA Europa League 2026/27 | First Qualifying Round, First Leg | Thursday, 9 July 2026 Karađorđe Stadium, Novi Sad, Serbia | Referee: TBC
Kasper Zachariassen scored in the eighth minute and Ferencváros never looked back.
The Hungarian champions left Novi Sad with a 2-1 win and the advantage heading into the second leg at Groupama Aréna on July 16. Vojvodina pulled one back and made it uncomfortable at moments, but Ferencváros — a club with far more European experience and a squad built for exactly these kinds of knockout ties — held their lead and protected it when the moments required.
This was the first competitive meeting between the two sides in their history. First leg in Serbia. Second leg in Budapest. Different environments. Different atmospheres. Ferencváros will be heavy favourites at home. But the single-goal margin keeps Vojvodina alive.
The early goal from Zachariassen set the whole pattern of the evening. The Danish midfielder has been one of Ferencváros’s most important creative figures in recent seasons — eight goals in all competitions last season, consistently involved in what matters — and he was sharp from the first minutes at the Karađorđe. His strike in the eighth minute was exactly what Balázs Borbély had wanted from his new-look midfield. Early, direct, purposeful. Vojvodina had barely settled.
Vojvodina tried to respond. Playing in front of their own supporters, Miroslav Tanjga’s side knew what was at stake. The Serbian Superliga runners-up had earned their place in this qualifying round and they were not going to accept an early deficit without pushing back. There were moments in the first half where they created enough to suggest the tie would not simply run away from them.
The problem was Ferencváros’s defensive organisation. Borbély — appointed as head coach on June 1, this his first competitive game in charge — had clearly drilled his squad in exactly the kind of shape that makes life difficult for teams chasing the game. Ferencváros compact in the middle, quick in transition, comfortable letting Vojvodina have possession in wide areas where it mattered less.
The second Ferencváros goal arrived and put them two ahead. Vojvodina’s response came — they pulled one back to make it 2-1 and give themselves something to chase in the second leg — but Ferencváros defended the remaining minutes with composure.
Vojvodina’s midfielder Stefan Stanisavljevic had been the one injury concern going into the match with a back problem. Whether he started or not, the home side could not find the sustained pressure that would have truly worried a team of Ferencváros’s calibre in the final stages.
Ferencváros have won six of their previous Europa League qualifying campaigns, been to the group stages twice and the knockout phase of the Conference League. This is a club that understands European football’s rhythms. Vojvodina are a well-run Serbian club who had a decent domestic season. The gap in European experience was visible across the 90 minutes.
The second leg at Groupama Aréna in Budapest on July 16 is where the tie will almost certainly be settled. Ferencváros at home, a two-goal advantage from the away leg, their crowd behind them. Vojvodina need to score and need to keep a clean sheet or find multiple goals. Neither will be straightforward.
The other Europa League first qualifying round results from the same evening — Qarabağ 3-0 Vestri, Dynamo Kyiv 0-0 Universitatea Cluj, Sheriff 0-0 Aluminij, CSKA Sofia 3-2 Derry, Hajduk Split 2-0 Žilina — show the range of first leg outcomes across the competition. Ferencváros sit comfortably in that group of teams with a clear advantage to protect.
For live Europa League qualifying coverage and European football news, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full fixtures and results at the official UEFA Europa League website.
Vojvodina 1-2 Ferencváros UEFA Europa League 2026/27, First Qualifying Round, First Leg | Thursday, 9 July 2026 Karađorđe Stadium, Novi Sad, Serbia
Goals: Kasper Zachariassen 8′ (Ferencváros) | Ferencváros second goal | Vojvodina reply (1-2 final)
Vojvodina — Manager: Miroslav Tanjga (age 61, appointed March 3 2025) Ferencváros — Manager: Balázs Borbély (age 46, appointed June 1 2026 — first competitive game in charge)
First meeting between the two clubs in all competitions
Second leg: Ferencváros vs Vojvodina | Wednesday, 16 July 2026 | Groupama Aréna, Budapest, Hungary
