Dinamo defeated Cluj University, score 2-1, in stage 5 of the play-off. The “Dogs” got their first win of the play-offs and climb to 5th place with 31 points. All the hits came in the last 15 minutes.
Cîrjan and Musi scored for Dinamo, Atanas Trică reduced the difference for “students”.
Chronicle by Cezar Titor » Dinamo cuts the momentum of the “students” on the way to the title and breathes in the play-offs!
Dinamo – Cluj University, spring evening at the National Arena, with 10,000 people in the stands of the country's largest stadium. It's not the hottest atmosphere in the “pack”, but it's certainly warmer than the one in the souls of the similar number of supporters who witnessed, on May 29, 2022, the biggest loss in the club's history: relegation.
Today, the opponent is the same, but the paradigms have changed. Even with just two points in four play-off stages and without a win since February 16, when frozen palms still cracked with every beat, Dinamo retains the morale of the two regular season successes with the “red caps”, both in Italian style: 1-0, 1-0.
Instead, the “students” turned into winners: maximum score in the play-off, ten consecutive victories in all competitions and a historic dream for the “Bianconer” breath from Transylvania. Lukic, Stanojev, Mendy and Macalou shine in the offensive of the “U”, and the metaphorical wall formed by Coubiș, Mikanovic and the veteran Chipciu seems impenetrable.
How should a “su' Feleac” title be viewed? Normal, given the investment and serious project from the “U” or a surprise of the magnitude of Leicester 2016?
Even with an Italian on the bench, the “foxes” managed to conquer a championship filled with historical superpowers. Cristiano Bergodi could earn his 'Godfather' status in turn, just like Ranieri.
The people of Cluj have already crossed the Rubicon: they want the title. But “brothers” are not “brothers” forever.
Caution taken to paroxysm, few achievements
The first shot on goal belonged to the “dogs”, in the 3rd minute: Alex Pop's soft header, after a manual cross by Raul Opruț, did not cause problems for the Lithuanian giant Edvinas Gertmonas. The “Students” responded in the 7th minute with Oucasse Mendy's pretentious long-range effort. Epassy was at the post.
In the first minutes, we see a “short” approach of the “red caps”, in an attempt to block the red-white combinations between the lines. In the 9th minute, however, the “dogs” “sneaked out”, and Cătălin Cîrjan's shot, from the edge of the box, went a little past the bar to the left of the Transylvanian goalkeeper.
In characteristic style, Dinamo continued to have possession, the initiative, to dictate the tempo of the game, but although Pop's game looks better, the absence of a true number “9” is completely felt. Puscaș is still on the bench, he is not ready, his first months in the “pack” being only for recovery.
Thus, Kopic cannot yet rely on the hardest name in the “repair mercato”.
The game then shifted to the other half of the pitch, with Cristiano Bergodi's men building carefully, slowly, looking for room for the explosive Mendy or Stanojev, whose elegant 25th-minute lob narrowly missed the target.
The first half was devoid of fantasy, goal phases, in antithesis, for example, with what happened at Csikszereda – Unirea Slobozia, today, a match with a clearly less generous poster.
Karamoko was injured again in the 39th minute on Gertmonas' first and only goal attempt, a weak shot from outside the box, well over the goal, and El Sawy also looked for the goal in the 41st minute, but the position made a goal almost impossible. Few accomplishments, 0-0 wiped out at the entrance to the booths.
Grosso modo, an ugly match in the first 45 minutes. Let this, with a few exceptions, be the syndrome of this play-off?!
Football was played in the last quarter of an hour!
The first 20 minutes of the second half passed in the same register – no chances, no phases that would destabilize any of the defensives. Once the one-hour mark was passed, the torrential rain, reminiscent of summer, became the main actor at the National Arena, making an already slippery pitch even more difficult.
The game seemed doomed to balance and could only be unlocked by a moment of pure inspiration. And that moment came from the ice of Dinamo's captain and decar.
Just two minutes after he had missed incredibly from a few meters, he opened the scoring with a splendid execution: half-volley shot, from the edge of the box, unstoppable.
The decisive pass was signed by the name of Danny Armstrong, combative and inspired, perfectly adapted to the British scenery created by the torrential rain that fell over the Capital. Thus, Cîrjan redeemed his failure in Gruia.
Just five minutes later, Dinamo struck again and doubled their lead with another gem. This time, the protagonist was Alex Musi, who sent directly, with the right, into the net, without any chance for Gertmonas, who remained a mere spectator.
Atanas Trică dynamited the end of the game in the 84th minute, scoring with his head, next to Boateng, after a manual cross by Issouf Macalou. Inspired by Bergodi, both came off the bench.
The “students” didn't have the strength to equalize, and Dinamo achieved the first success in the play-off, while the Transylvanian players are waiting for the result of tomorrow night's game. Is the pressure of a historic title starting to feel?!
FINAL » Dinamo – Cluj University 2-1
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Minute 90+5: Final match! Dinamo defeats U Cluj, score 2-1, and obtains its first victory in the play-off.
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The 81st minute: naked Dynamo! Corner, ball deflected from inside the box and Alexandru Musi shoots perfectly from the edge of the box, no chance for Gertmonas.
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The 77th minute: Huge opportunity for Dinamo! Musi crosses into the box, Pușcaș attacks well, but fails to meet the ball.
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The 75th minute: naked Dynamo! After the fight earlier, the captain of the hosts gets his revenge. Chipciu loses, Armstrong slips, gets up and passes decisively to Cătălin Cîrjan, who executes Gertmonas in cold blood. The “Dogs” climb to 5th place on this score.
VIDEO | The success of Cătălin Cîrjan from Dinamo – U Cluj
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The 68th minute: Musi escapes alone with Gertmonas, he is held by his shirt in the box by Bic, but the “central” Vidican does not dictate a shot from 11 meters, to the dismay of the Dynamo fans.
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The 61st minute: Mută and Bergodi, the first two changes at U Cluj: Stanojev and Drammeh leave, Macalou and Codrea enter.
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The 60th minute: Opportunity for U Cluj! Mendy easily passes Sivis, escapes alone with Epassy, but misjudges this phase very badly, being blocked at the last moment by Raul Opruț.
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The 57th minute: Three changes at Dinamo: Mazilu, Soro and Pop leave, Musi, Mărginean and Pușcaș enter.
BREAK on the National Arena. 0-0 at halftime.
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The 38th minute: Mamadou Karamoko shoots wide of Gertmonas' goal. Immediately, he lays down on the field and blames a muscle problem. He is immediately exchanged with Danny Armstrong, what a blow for Dinamo!
PHOTO GALLERY. The most spectacular images from Dinamo – U Cluj
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Two special moments before the first whistle. The duel at the National Arena was preceded by a moment of silence in memory of Mircea Lucescu, then Sulejman Demollari gave the kick-off: “Attention, it's a song that many of you know, which we sang when Demollari scored against the rival Steaua”, was the announcement of Ștefan Știucă, Dinamo's announcer, a reference to “Demollari omoara militarii”, a song popularized on the Dynamo lawn in the 90s.
Dinamo – Cluj University, starting teams:
Dinamo (4-3-3): Epassy – Sivis, Boateng, Stoinov, Opruț – Cîrjan, Gnahore, Soro – Mazilu, Pop, Karamoko
reserves: Roșca, Musi, Milanov, Cr. Mihai, Tarbă, Caragea, Toader, Duțu, Pușcaș, Țicu, Armstrong, Mărginean
Coach: Zeljko Kopic
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Epassy is back in goal at Dinamo, after being a reserve in the last two games at the expense of Roșca. Mazilu also takes the face off Musi again as an U21. Mărginean, injured in the last game, is a reserve, just like Pușcaș, whose medical situation is complicated, is also on the bench.
Cluj University (4-1-2-3): Gertmonas – Mikanovic, I. Cristea, Coubis, Chipciu – Bic – O. Mendy, Drammeh – Stanojev, Lukic, El Sawy
reserves: Lefter, T. Coșa, Capradossi, M. Silva, Codrea, Pall, A. Gheorghiță, Nistor, Macalou, Fabry, Postolachi, A. Trică
Coach: Cristiano Bergodi
Referee: Rareș Vidican // ASSISTANT: Marius Badea and Adrian Vornicu
VAR referee: Sorin Costreie // Assistant VAR: Daniel Mitruți
Book: Ionuț Coza // Observer referees: Irina Mirț
Stadium: National Arena
UPDATE 20:30 » Dinamo, a new tribute to Mircea Lucescu
Dinamo will pay a new tribute to Mircea Lucescu. Zeljko Kopic's players will enter the field wearing white shirts with the face of Mircea Lucescu from his time at Dinamo, and the number 7, worn for most of his football career, will also be displayed.
UPDATE 19:45 » Special guest on the National Arena: Sulejman Demollari kicks off
Sulejman Demollari (61 years old), one of the emblematic foreigners in Dinamo's history, returned to Romania. The former Albanian offensive midfielder will kick off the game with Cluj University. The Albanian is in Romania for the filming of a film dedicated to his life.
Demollari arrived in Romania in 1991, at the insistence of the late Florin Halagian, coming from the homonymous formation in Tirana, where he had won two titles and two Cups of Albania.
In the very first season spent in Ștefan cel Mare, he won the title of champion, being the second top scorer of both the team and the championship, with 18 goals, after Gabor Gerstenmajer.
In the 1991-1992 season, Dinamo finished the championship undefeated: 21 wins and 13 draws. It was also the only trophy won by Demollari in the “pack”, during a period when the club entered a shadow cone in the mid-1900s.
He left Dinamo in 1995, with 36 goals scored, still being in the top 10 of the best foreign scorers all-time in the Romanian championship. After the adventure in Ștefan cel Mare, he played for Panionios and Gyor, and in his international record he has 45 selections for the first Albanian national team.
UPDATE 19:30 » Around 10,000 spectators will attend the match
The first groups of supporters began to populate the vicinity of the country's largest stadium, without being intimidated by the rainfall of the last few hours in the Capital.
Around 10,000 fans are expected in the stands of the National Arena for the duel in the 5th round of the play-off, the first game in the series of three that Dinamo will play on home soil.
Next up is the semifinal of the Romanian Cup, on Thursday, with Universitatea Craiova, and the derby with Rapid, scheduled in the first leg of the second leg of the play-off, next Sunday.
In both confrontations in the regular season, the “dogs” prevailed over the “students”, each time with 1-0.
UPDATE 19:15 » Dinamo's coach has arrived at the stadium
UPDATE 19:00 » The first images from the National Arena
Several supporters buy their tickets for the last hundred meters, a sign that the stands will be animated until the start.
The lawn is in excellent condition. The surface looks immaculate, even though the stadium still has two more games scheduled before it is temporarily closed.
At 18:50 the referees also arrived. They went directly to the changing rooms. Restrictions were imposed in the Second Stand. The first rows have been demarcated with tape, and the access of spectators to that area is prohibited, as happened in the previous games.
And the away supporters started to make their presence felt. Approximately 200 U Cluj fans arrived at the stadium, but they initially entered on the wrong route. The gendarmes quickly intervened and directed them to the sector intended for them.
