Article by Marius Mărgărit – published on Sunday, April 06, 2025 23:46 / Updated Sunday, April 6, 2025 23:46
A quick-Dinamo with no 20,000 in the stands was the first surprise of last night's confrontation from the National Arena, in a match for teaching/taking the “flashlight” in the play-off.
In fact, she was a bit alone, because the match ran about as expected, in a confrontation with many, many injured and or absent. At Dinamo in the lot, anyway too rarefied for a team with claims of something more than the presence in the play-off, at Rapid especially in the stands, in the war that still grinds the relationship between ultras and leadership.
Victor Angelescu became the public enemy, including through the messages displayed, although before him, Dan Șucu had clearly announced that he was no longer willing to pay hundreds of thousands of euros per season for those who have played with fire, from the lawn.
This time, the Giulesti abstained from the pyrotechnic, but it was fire, but where it should, on the ground. Because Dinamo had the ball, even over 60% in the first 25 minutes, but the Rapid was the one who sparkled and lit the derby.
Logically, being in his political absence and Selmani, the “dogs” have no offensive outing, attacked by the ball, flat, slow, in the pace of Gnahore, last night more uncertain than ever. And as neither Cârjan found solutions, and Perica was only in number, the denouement was somewhat logical.
Because the cherries have the advantage of Dobre's speed, Micovshi, the determination of Onea or Keita, plus a tip of a job, Koljic, who established the result of the half. One in which the quickists dominated the duels, were the first at the ball, cut the middle with sprints and danger, while Kopic's boys were on zero and on the gate and, of course, on occasions.
Another half, another match
The second part brought from the beginning a completely different scenario. With the entire thinness of the lot, Dinamo threw everything he had, but something extra. Heart, determination, everything they had lacking in the first part. And the match has changed, given that the speedsmen, who lost Koljic, took the step back. Maybe with the thought that it will find even wider spaces in the opposing half.
A double -edged weapon, because the roller, slowly until then of the opponents, became more and more pressed and could have tilt the balance even on the table. And Stolz, unemployed in the first part, had more and more work. The Austrian intervened excellently at the penetration of Perica, thus washing, at least in part, the gap from the beginning, that jump in the empty pool from the end of the match with FCSB.
In the end, in the end crazy, possession, more passes, the despair of the “dogs” were hit by the gilueșteni, willing to sacrifice everything, even the aesthetics for the result to lift them on the road to a place of European cups and through the championship, the second goal of the season. They moved the fire from the attack to the defensive and burned all the adverse attempts.
A living match, disputed, rhythm, nerve, even if without many occasions. At the end of which, drawing the line, the determination, but especially the value, the difference of investments and acquisitions from the two camps, established the winner. Some fire, others plain water, even if they put some acid in the second. Too little.
Rapid now climbs and threatens the position of U Cluj, approaching the podium. And it can be something more than just an arbitrator in this play-out. It is still time to become a protagonist, there are many more matches and it is unpredictable, difficult to guess, to control.
Dinamo, in insolvency, has little to draw, has not yet made a point in the play-off. Maybe he had to prepare for next season, to find some more happy pockets. Otherwise, the combination of the calm of Kopic-Entusus to the players and the heat of the fans cannot do wonders endlessly.
