Universitatea Craiova delivered a commanding performance in their Superliga match against Petrolul, securing a decisive 4-0 victory. The standout players were Carlos Mora and Steven Nsimba, who played pivotal roles throughout the game.
Following three disappointing matches, Universitatea Craiova urgently needed a solid win to regain their confidence ahead of their upcoming Europa League qualifying match against KuPS from Finland.
The match began intensely, with Nsimba scoring within the first minute, catching Petrolul off guard. The first half was dominated by Universitatea Craiova, with Nsimba netting a second goal following impressive teamwork involving Matei and Baiaram.
In the second half, the home side continued their assault, adding two more goals courtesy of Baiaram and Elisor, while Petrolul struggled to mount any meaningful response. The visitors only showed signs of life towards the end of the match when it was too late to change the outcome.
Player Ratings for Universitatea Craiova
R. Sava – 6: Had little to do defensively.
A. Rus – 6: Solid performance.
Stevanovic – 6: Effectively neutralized Nlundulu.
Screciu – 6: Composed and error-free.
Mora – 8: Impressive effort with two assists.
Teles – 6: Less impactful offensively but reliable defensively.
Anzor – 6: Discreet but contributed to the fourth goal.
Bancu – 6: No issues in defense.
D. Matei – 7: Active and growing in confidence.
Nsimba – 8: Unstoppable, scored twice in one half.
Baiaram – 7: Initially quiet but rebounded with a goal and an assist.
Coach: Filipe Coelho – 7: Made effective choices that showed on the pitch.
Elisor (46) – 7: Made an impactful substitution, adding another goal.
Băsceanu (61) – 6: Contributed positively despite limited time.
Etim (61) – 6: Registered a powerful shot hitting the post.
Cicâldău (69) – 6: Worked hard with several scoring opportunities.
A. Crețu (75) – 5: Played too briefly to make a mark.
Player Ratings for Petrolul
Zima – 5: Exposed by defense, conceded four but made several saves.
Zaian – 5: Managed to win some duels.
Malula – 4: Struggled defensively.
Papp – 3: Overwhelmed by Nsimba, substituted at halftime.
Capușă – 3: Failed to contain Baiaram.
Leo Teixeira – 5: Lacked support for combining plays.
Huseynov – 4: Did not stand out defensively.
Flores – 4: Unable to make an impact.
A. Dumitrescu – 4: Limited contributions offensively.
D. Paraschiv – 4: Worked hard but without success.
Nlundulu – 5: Fought valiantly against the opposing defense.
Coach: Ricardo Sousa – 4: Made late adjustments that were ineffective.
Dele (46) – 5: Made his presence felt but lacked significant impact.
M. Ioniță (46) – 4: Did not contribute to team play.
Martins (64) – 4: Remained largely unnoticed.
Jerdea (64) – 5: Showed courage with a few incursions into the attack.
Țuțu (83) – Did not play enough to gauge performance.
Referee: Marian Barbu – 6: Missed some fouls from both sides.
VIDEO OF THE GOAL
Source video: Prima Sport 1
