Popeshti-Lărdău saw off Bacău 3-2 in the second round of Liga II on Saturday evening. The hosts moved level on points with their visitors after a match that swung from end to end. Three goals after half-time turned a tight first half into something far more open.
A. Dane opened the scoring in the twenty-sixth minute, and Bacău's R. Moise responded six minutes later. The first half ended goalless after the restart, with D. Luncasu heading home for Popeshti-Lărdău in the forty-sixth. To be fair, the visitors had chances to take the lead before the break but could not find a breakthrough.
And here's the thing about the second period — Bacău took control. Q. Taiwo equalised in the seventy-sixth minute, and A. Capraru put Popeshti-Lărdău back in front two minutes after that. The home side held on despite the pressure, and by then the crowd had been on edge for most of the second half.
Popeshti-Lărdău dominated possession at 56 per cent and registered 127 attacks compared to Bacău's 107. They took thirteen shots, five on target, while the visitors managed just four efforts with three on target. The statistics suggest Popeshti-Lărdău created more, though the match was closer than the numbers indicate.
Five yellow cards were shown during the ninety minutes, with Popeshti-Lărdău receiving one and Bacău four. The home side had no offside calls against them, while the visitors were caught offside four times. Neither team saw a red card, and both kept their defensive shape despite the late drama.
Popeshti-Lărdău remain unbeaten after six games with three wins and three draws, sitting fourth on twelve points. Bacău have three victories, two draws and one defeat, placing them seventh on eleven points. The result means the gap between them in the table stays at one point as the season continues.