Oțelul Galati and Universitatea Craiova played out a 1-1 draw in the Liga I's fifth round on Saturday evening. The match at Otelul Din Galati ended level after a second-half goal from each side, leaving both teams with one point from their latest outing. To be fair, the result kept things interesting in the table where the hosts sit eighth on ten points and the visitors fourth on eleven.
The turning point came early when Alexandru Crețu picked up his second yellow card in the twenty-ninth minute and was sent off. Minutes later, after the break, M. Etim gave Oțelul the lead before T. Lungu struck at the eighty-seventh minute to restore parity. By then, Universitatea were already down to ten men and had to dig in for a point.
Oțelul dominated possession at sixty-five per cent and attempted 126 attacks compared to the visitors' sixty. They registered ten shots inside the penalty area yet only managed two on target, while their opponents found the woodwork just as rarely. The hosts created two big chances but could not convert them, which is the sort of thing that keeps a match tight until the final whistle.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half, with six changes between the two sides. C. Mora, V. Screciu, L. Basceanu, M. Etim, A. Ciobanu, A. Al Hamlawi, M. Silva and M. Frunza all entered the fray as managers tried to shift momentum. And here's the thing — Oțelul brought on M. Etim himself after he had already scored, which suggests the coach wanted to protect his lead.
The result means Oțelul remain a point behind fourth place, while Universitatea hold onto their own position with a narrow gap over the teams around them. Both sides have seven games played now, and the standings show nothing dramatic has changed. The hosts will take a point away from home after a man, while the visitors can take heart from their away form despite being reduced to ten men.