Equal points shared in Liga II encounter
Cetatia Sucava and Popesti-Lerodeni came together in the fifth round of Liga II on Saturday, and neither side could find a winner. The match finished 1:1, a result that keeps both clubs in the middle of the table. Sucava remain tenth with seven points after five games, while Popesti-Lerodeni sit sixth on nine points. Neither side had lost yet at this stage, though the hosts had already tasted defeat twice.
A. Dane broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, giving the home side a lead they would not hold. The visitors equalised through an own goal by A. Bobaru in the 49th minute, and that moment shifted the balance. To be fair, the away side had been difficult to break down all afternoon, and they refused to go away when the pressure came. The goal felt like it came from persistence rather than chance.
Substitutions began soon after half-time, with C. Tucaliuc brought on in the 46th minute. The game picked up pace, and things got a bit scrappy around the edges. Five yellow cards were shown between the 54th and 80th minutes, which tells you where the tension lay. By then, both managers had turned to the bench for fresh legs.
V. Cimbru and S. Ferhaoui came together in the 72nd minute, followed by A. Aftanache in the 75th. M. Bai made the final change in the 81st minute, but there was nothing more to come. The match had settled into a rhythm where both sides had chances but none could be taken. It was not a game decided by style, but by who held their nerve longer.
The result leaves Popesti-Lerodeni unbeaten in five matches, which means they have extended their run without a loss. Sucava remain winless in two of their last three games, a pattern that has not helped them climb. The goal difference stays level at zero for both sides, and the table does not move much. Sometimes a draw is the fairest outcome when neither team could dominate.