UTA Arad beat FCSB 3-1 at Arena Națională on Saturday evening in the seventh round of Liga I's regular season. The visitors took an early lead and never looked back, despite the hosts controlling most of the ball. FCSB equalised through Alexandru Stoian before Hakim Abdallah restored UTA's advantage, and Marius Coman sealed the result with a second goal.
And here's the thing about that opening goal. Coman found space in the box and finished past Andre Duarte in the 26th minute. The home side pushed for an equaliser but UTA's back line held firm, with five successful tackles from their defenders keeping things tight. The hosts had 62 per cent possession but could not create much from their dominance.
To be fair, FCSB responded well after the break. Stoian headed home in the 49th minute to level matters, and for a moment it looked like the home side might take control. But UTA hit back almost immediately. Abdallah tapped in from close range in the 54th minute, and the momentum shifted decisively. By then, FCSB had made two changes, bringing on Garita and Boutoutaou.
Coman added his second in the 78th minute, and then was substituted himself shortly after. The home side threw bodies forward but could not find another goal. They created three big chances in total, while UTA's four were enough to convert twice. Shots accuracy tells the story: FCSB hit the target six times from 16 attempts, UTA five from seven.
The match was not without its disciplinary issues. Dorobantu picked up a yellow card in the 66th minute, and Ouaneh added another in stoppage time. FCSB made three more substitutions in the final quarter, bringing on Taroi, Dawa, and Miculescu in attempts to chase the game. But UTA's goalkeeper made five saves to keep his clean sheet.
What these numbers mean is that UTA were more efficient than their possession figures suggest. The hosts had 473 passes to UTA's 293, but the visitors created more danger. Big chances created shows 3-4 in favour of the visitors, and the conversion rate was stark: five shots on target yielded three goals, while six on target produced just one.
The result leaves FCSB fourth with 11 points from seven games, while UTA remain 14th on six points. The home side's recent form has been inconsistent, with two defeats in their last five including this one. For UTA, it was just their second win of the season and could prove crucial down the line.
