Petrolul Ploiești beat Chikserede 2:0 at the Ulie Oana Stadium on Monday evening in the tenth round of the Liga I. The home side took all three points to move clear of the danger zone, while the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
It was a match decided by moments. Gabriel Araújo Lima thought he had opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, but the goal was cancelled by VAR. The hosts did not let the chance pass. Rodrigo Martins struck in the forty-seventh minute, and Paul Papp added a second in the sixty-ninth to settle the contest.
Our prediction called for a home win at 51 per cent confidence, and that is exactly what happened. The result was not a surprise, but the manner in which Petrolul controlled the tempo was worth noting. They kept possession, moved the ball into the final third, and did not panic when the equaliser was ruled out.
Statistics back up the control Petrolul showed. They held 54 per cent of the possession, registered 119 attacks to Chikserede's 90, and landed 7 shots on target. The visitors managed only 3 shots on target and created no big chances. The high line was picked apart several times, but the away keeper pulled off a stunning save to keep the deficit manageable.
Chikserede's form has been poor. They have dropped points in nine of ten games, with only one draw to their name. This defeat leaves them on just one point from ten matches, and there is unrest in the dressing room if you look at how they reacted to the substitutions.
Petrolul now sit fourth with 19 points. They have lost three and drawn one, but the momentum is shifting in their favour. The scoreline reflects the reality of the evening — three or four moments decided the match, and the rest was background noise.
