U Cluj claimed a thrilling 2-1 victory against UTA Arad at Cluj Arena in a Superliga match held on the fifth matchday of the season.
Both of U Cluj’s goals were scored by Alibek Aliev, while UTA’s only goal came from Dorobanțu in the 85th minute. Additionally, U Cluj had a goal disallowed in the first half.
Historic Day for Dan Nistor as U Cluj Takes Control
Following a celebratory moment for Dan Nistor, who became the player with the most appearances in Romanian football history, U Cluj began to dominate the match.
The first opportunity for U Cluj came from Oucasse Mendy, who attempted to lob the ball over UTA’s goalkeeper but missed. Shortly after, Macalou tried to cross, but UTA’s defense held firm. In the 18th minute, Mendy suffered an injury after missing a shot and had to be substituted by Friday Adams.
UTA had a chance in the 29th minute when Alin Roman intercepted a weak back pass from Codrea but was denied by a solid save from goalkeeper Lefter.
In the 36th minute, U Cluj thought they had opened the scoring with a goal from Mikanovic, which was later disallowed due to offside. Just after, Abdallah from UTA fell in the box claiming a penalty, but the referee ruled out the appeal.
U Cluj eventually scored in stoppage time of the first half. A header from Friday Adams found Alibek Aliev, who netted the ball just before the break.
Strong Play from U Cluj and Controversial Penalty Decision
The second half kicked off with a powerful shot from Pedro Pinho that was well saved by Tordai. UTA responded with a strong effort from Tzionis, but Lefter made another crucial save. Abdallah faced another missed opportunity in the 62nd minute when he shot directly at Lefter.
In the 71st minute, Friday Adams dribbled effectively in the box and passed to Aliev, whose shot was deflected for a corner. From that corner, a handball by Odada, confirmed by VAR, led to a penalty kick, which Aliev converted successfully.
UTA pushed back and managed to score in the 85th minute through Dorobanțu, who headed in from a corner taken by Papeau, but it proved too little, too late. U Cluj’s Andrei Gheorghiță was sent off in stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Mino Sota.
This victory temporarily placed U Cluj in third place in the Superliga standings, while UTA Arad remained near the bottom, with only two points from five matches and no wins.
Match Summary
FINAL: U Cluj 2-1 UTA Arad
Goals: Aliev 45+1, 74 (pen.) / A. Dorobanțu 85
Red Card: Andrei Gheorghiță (U Cluj) 90+2
Match Statistics:
Possession: 66-34
Shots: 7-10
Shots on Target: 2-2
Starting Lineups:
U Cluj (4-2-3-1): Lefter – Mikanovic, I. Cristea, Codrea, Chipciu – Bic – Nistor, Pinho – Macalou, Mendy, Aliev
UTA Arad (4-2-3-1): Tordai – A. Dorobanțu, Benga, Ouaneh, Alomerovic – Odada, Mino Sota – Abdallah, Roman, Tzionis – Sinani
