UTA Arad and Oțelul Galați played to a 2-2 draw in the opening match of the second round of the Superliga. The Galați team led 2-0 at halftime, but UTA mounted a comeback in the second half to secure a point.
Following the match, midfielder Andrei Ciobanu voiced his disappointment over Oțelul’s inability to maintain their two-goal advantage.
Ciobanu Reflects on the Match: “I Was Already Thinking We Had Three Points”
Ciobanu acknowledged that Oțelul lost momentum after halftime and explained that UTA’s tactical changes posed challenges for the Galați team.
“We balanced the game in the first half. We entered the break with a 2-0 lead, but unfortunately, we couldn’t hold the ball in the second half. I am disappointed; it was the end of the match and I was already thinking we had 3 points in the standings, but we return with just one. UTA is a difficult team, and any team coming here will face a tough match,” he said.
He noted that entering halftime with a 2-0 advantage is a good moment but mentioned that UTA switched to a 4-4-2 formation, which made it challenging to adapt. “I can say we’ve started the championship quite well. Now we have a match against Dinamo ahead, and we will focus on recovery and definitely give our all for 3 points,” he added.
Ciobanu was also asked about his entrance onto the field in light of the new rules introduced this season.
According to modifications approved by IFAB, a substituted player must leave the field within 10 seconds of the referee’s signal. If this timeframe is exceeded, the substitute cannot enter immediately but must wait until the next stoppage after a minute has passed, leaving the team temporarily at a numerical disadvantage.
“Yes, I didn’t see the number on the board here, and the referee should inform us when to enter or not,” he said.
“To Me, It Was a Foul”
Ciobanu also commented on the incident that led UTA to reduce the deficit. The Galați team claimed a foul against a teammate following Alexi Pitu’s slide, but the referee allowed play to continue.
“On the field, I saw a foul. Now I don’t know what happened, but to me, it was a foul in that situation. They took a quick free kick, and we conceded the goal to make it 1-2,” he remarked.
After the draw in Arad, Oțelul turns its attention to the upcoming duel against Dinamo in the next round.
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