Preview: FK Vojvodina vs Ferencvaros - prediction, team news, lineups

Backed by a strong finish to their domestic season, Vojvodina begin their Europa League qualifying campaign when Ferencvaros visit the Karadjordje Stadium in Novi Sad on Thursday evening in the first leg of the first qualifying round.

The Hungarian visitors arrive having narrowly missed out on their league title by a single point, and with a new manager in the dugout for the first time this European campaign, Ferencvaros will be eager to make an early statement in what is the first-ever meeting between these two clubs.

Match preview

Vojvodina head into Thursday’s first leg on the back of a strong domestic campaign, finishing second in the Serbian SuperLiga with 76 points - trailing only champions FK Crvena Zvezda, who accumulated 86 points across the season.

The Belgrade club also reached the Serbian Cup final, where they fell to Crvena Zvezda in a penalty shootout, and while the season ultimately ended without silverware, the performances throughout gave Miroslav Tanjga’s side considerable confidence heading into European football.

This marks Vojvodina’s return to Europa League qualifying after their second-round exit in the 2024/25 season, when Ajax eliminated them 4-1 on aggregate.

Their form heading into the end of last season was particularly encouraging, with Vojvodina going eight matches without defeat in regular time - the only loss in that run coming in the penalty shootout against Crvena Zvezda - winning five of those eight fixtures.

Since the domestic season concluded, Tanjga’s side have maintained their sharpness through three club friendlies, losing one, drawing one and winning their most recent outing - a commanding 3-0 victory over Universitatea Cluj that will have provided a timely confidence boost ahead of Thursday’s European opener.

Ferencvaros arrive in Novi Sad having endured a painful end to their domestic season, finishing second in the Hungarian league on 68 points - just one point behind champions ETO Gyor, who lifted the title on 69 points and ended Ferencvaros’s extraordinary seven-year consecutive championship streak in the process.

The Hungarian giants did make it to the round of 16 in the Europa League last season before a stunning collapse against Braga - winning the first leg 2-0 before losing 4-0 in the return fixture - a result that will have reinforced the importance of not sitting on a first-leg advantage.

Robbie Keane stepped down as head coach following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, having taken charge in January 2025, and Balazs Borbely has since been appointed as his replacement - making Thursday’s first leg in Novi Sad the new manager’s first competitive match in charge of the club.

Ferencvaros head into the tie in strong form, having gone five matches without defeat, with their most recent outing a 1-0 friendly win over Qarabag providing a positive note ahead of the trip to Serbia.

Thursday’s fixture is historically significant as the first-ever competitive meeting between Vojvodina and Ferencvaros - the two clubs have never faced each other even in a friendly, meaning both sides will be heading into genuinely unknown territory when the first whistle blows at the Karadjordje Stadium.

FK Vojvodina form (all competitions):

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Ferencvaros form (all competitions):

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Team News

No injury for either side ahead of Thursday’s first leg, so both managers are expected to name strong lineups given the importance of establishing a favourable result in the home leg.

Vojvodina defensive unit is expected to be made up of Petar Sukacev, Sinisa Tanjga, Kornel Szucs and Mihai Butean, shielded by a midfield trio of Slobodan Medojevic, Dragan Kokanovic and Marko Mladenovic.

Milan Kolarevic is set to provide width from the left flank, while 18-year-old Damjan Djokanovic is expected to lead the line at centre forward.

For Ferencvaros, the back four is expected to consist of Barnabas Nagy, Mariano Gomez, Toon Raemaekers and Callum O’Dowda, providing an experienced defensive base for Borbel’s first competitive match in charge.

The midfield is expected to feature Cadu, Gavriel Kanichowsky, Philippe Rommens and Marius Corbu, giving Ferencvaros both creativity and defensive cover in the middle of the pitch.

Lenny Joseph featured for Haiti at the 2026 World Cup, where the Caribbean nation were eliminated in the group stage, and it remains to be seen whether the forward has returned to club training in sufficient time to feature on Thursday.

Should Joseph be unavailable, Benjamin Golik and Zsombor Gruber could lead the attacking line.

FK Vojvodina possible starting lineup:

Gocmanac; Sukacev, Tanjga, Szucs, Butean; Medojevic, Kokanovic; Kolarevic, Mladenovic, Randjelovic; Djokanovic

Ferencvaros possible starting lineup:

Dibusz; Nagy, Gomez, Raemaekers, O’Dowda; Cadu, Kanichowsky, Rommens, Corbu; Joseph, Gruber

We say: FK Vojvodina 1-3 Ferencvaros

Ferencvaros arrive with superior European pedigree and five matches without defeat, and while Vojvodina’s home record and competitive edge make them a dangerous opponent at the Karadjordje Stadium, the Hungarian side carry enough individual quality to edge the first leg on the road.

Vojvodina’s penalty shootout defeat to Crvena Zvezda was their only blemish in an eight-match unbeaten run, and Tanjga’s side will compete, but Ferencvaros’s experience of competing at this level tips the balance in favour of the visitors.

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