The battle for the championship to give the next stage. U Cluj passes Rapid and approaches to one point the University of Craiova
Cluj University defeated Rapid Bucharest with a score of 1-0 (1-0), on Saturday evening, at Cluj Arena, in a match of the eighth stage of the Football Super League play-off, and remains in the race for the title. Transylvania is one point behind the leader Universitatea Craiova, before the direct match of the penultimate stage of the season.
Transylvanians fight on two fronts, in the championship and in the Cup. U Cluj Facebook photo
The only goal of the game with Rapid was scored by Dorin Codrea (17), with a header from the corner executed by Issouf Macalou. U had a great opportunity to double its advantage, but Virgiliu Postolachi (30) missed face to face with goalkeeper Marian Aioani. Rapid performed better in the second half and had two notable opportunities through defender Robert Sălceanu (63, 66), but he shot over the goal each time.
U Cluj, the godmother of Rapid
Cluj University managed to score the second goal, in min. 89, through Jug Stanojev, but his success was canceled by the video referee for a handball previously committed by Oucasse Mendy. Rapid had another chance to equalize, but the ball headed by Lars Kramer (90+6) was rejected in the corner.
Transylvania won its sixth victory in the play-off (four at home), while Rapid obtained only one point in the last six stages. In the direct matches of the regular season, the match in Cluj-Napoca ended with a score of 0-0, and the Transylvanians won 2-0 in Bucharest, after which they prevailed in Giulesti 2-1 in the play-off.
The duel between Cluj University and Rapid is the oldest in the history of the current championship, the first direct confrontation taking place in the second season in which the internal competition took place in a divisional system, 1933-1934, according to LPF. In total, the two teams met in the main domestic competition 104 times, 43 times Transylvania won, 43 times Giulești prevailed, and another 18 games ended in a draw.
The “Red Caps” and the University of Craiova will first meet on Wednesday, in the final of the Romanian Cup, so that the following weekend they will play in Bănie for supremacy in the Superliga. If Olten win, they will become champions one stage before the end of the season.
Three games for the title
Stage 9, May 16: U Craiova – U Cluj
Stage 10, May 23: Rapid – U Craiova, U Cluj – Dinamo
