Radio Romania International Sports Club

Football

Florin Orban, 19.07.2023, 13:45

The main European inter-club competition, the Champions League, this year as well, will see no Romanian team booking its place for the event. In the first preliminary round, holders Farul Constanta lost to Republic of Moldova title holders, Sheriff Tiraspol. In the first leg on home turf Farul grabbed a 1-nil win, yet this past Tuesday Sheriff Tiraspol secured a 3-nil win after extra time.

The fixture was initially scheduled in Republic of Moldovas capital city, Chisinau, yet the match was eventually hosted by the very arena of Sheriff football club, located in the main city of separatist region Trans-Dniester, Tiraspol. A small party of Constanta-based fans was in the stands, people who stopped at nothing on their way to Tiraspol, in a bid to support their favorite team.

With a minimum advantage, Farul began the match on a predominantly defensive note, with no bouts of their usual, combinatorial and aggressive game. They withstood their opponents game towards the end of the first half when Moroccan player Amine Talal drew first blood for Sheriff as Cameroon Ngom Mbekeli crossed the ball in front of Farul s goal.

The second half was a little bit more balanced yet Gheorghe Hagis trainees were unable to secure a vigorous comeback on the pitch and have the upper hand throughout the game. The scoreboard for the regular, 90-minute time displayed a 1-nil advantage for Sheriff Tiraspol so two extra time halves followed. Taking advantage of Farul flawed defensive game, Sheriffs footballers scored twice, through Ngom Bekeli on 99 minutes and Nigerian Peter Ademo in minute 105. Farul will thus play in the preliminary round of the third-tier European competition, Conference League, where they are pitted against Armenias title holders, FC Urartu. We recall the latter team was eliminated from the Champions League preliminaries by Bosnian opponents Zrinjski Mostar.

Four Romanian teams will play in the second round of Europa Conference League preliminaries. The first leg in scheduled next week, On Wednesday, FCSB take on ŢSKA Sofia 1948, away from home, in a match hosted by the Bulgarian capital citys Vasil Levski stadium. On Thursday, in a fixture hosted by the Bălgarska Armia stadium, also in Sofia, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe face ŢSKA-Sofia. CFR Cluj play a home match against Turkeys Adana Demirspor, while Farul play FC Urartu of Armenia.