CFR 1907 Cluj claimed a 3-2 victory over Chiksereda at Stadionul Municipal on 29 August in the seventh round of Liga I. The result moves the visitors up to 11th place with nine points from six matches, while Chiksereda remain rooted at the bottom of the table with just one point from seven games. By then the hosts had already endured their fifth defeat in as many outings, though the scoreline suggests a game far tighter than the points tally implies.
Chiksereda struck first through Lorenzo Biliboc in the 28th minute, a moment that briefly shifted momentum in their favour. Cluj responded quickly with Márton Eppel's equaliser just five minutes later, and Ovidiu Perianu restored the home side's lead before the interval with a 45+2 goal. And here's the thing about first halves like that — one moment of composure and the match turns on its head.
Cluj came out with purpose after the break, with Eppel netting his second in the 50th minute to put his side ahead for the first time. Stefan Dražić then added a late fifth goal of the afternoon in the 83rd minute to seal the result, though Chiksereda had already substituted Biliboc in the 82nd minute, perhaps sensing the tide had turned. The visitors made three changes around the hour mark, bringing on Artúr Horváth and Előd Tóth-Pál at half-time before Eppel came off himself in the 76th.
The statistics tell a story that matches the flow of the game. Cluj enjoyed 57 per cent possession and registered 135 attacks against Chiksereda's 81, while also creating four big chances to the hosts' two. Shots on target were eight to six in favour of the visitors, though Chiksereda's 50 per cent accuracy meant they were not entirely wasteful of their opportunities. To be fair the hosts were not outplayed in every department — they won more aerial duels and made more long passes, but the difference came in the final third.
Chiksereda's situation in the standings offers little cause for optimism. They sit 16th with zero wins, one draw and six defeats from seven matches, having picked up only a single point against Sepsi in their previous outing. Their recent record reads from worst to best — a 2-1 win over Steaua on 20 August, followed by draws and defeats — but this result extends a run that has seen them lose five consecutive league games.
For Cluj the victory maintains their position in the middle of the table and adds to a mixed start that includes a 1-0 win over FCSB and heavy defeats to Tromsø. They have now scored three goals in consecutive matches, a run that suggests their attacking options are finding rhythm at the right time. The away trip to face Bucharest's other big club will be a sterner test, but for now the points on the board provide a solid foundation.
