Egnatia Rrogozhinë 6-1 Petrocub: Bakayoko orchestrates a ruthless advance

Egnatia Rrogozhinë finished the job with authority, beating Petrocub 6-1 on Wednesday night to confirm a 7-2 aggregate ticket out of the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round. Nevil Dede kept faith with his 5-3-2 and was rewarded with a statement of intent from the Albanian champions. Shota Makharadze mirrored that shape but his team collapsed inside the opening half-hour, the tie gone long before Petrocub could react.

Soumaila Bakayoko set the tone straight away. The striker isolated Petrocub’s back line and rolled an assist for Eneo Bitri to score in the 2nd minute, the centre-back stepping out from Dede’s back three to cash in. That early punch unnerved the visitors and gave Egnatia the rhythm they wanted. Guillem Jaime kept pushing from right wing-back and his delivery produced the second goal, Alessandro Albanese finishing in the 30th minute. Petru Popescu was booked three minutes later for a frustrated challenge, and the half ended in calamity for the Moldovan side when Mihail Plătică turned the ball into his own net in the 44th minute.

Makharadze read the situation and ripped up the front line at the break. Marius Cojocaru, Ovidiu David, Ion Botnari and Ion Borș all came on at 46 minutes, but the shape remained a 5-3-2 and the gaps in midfield were still there. Fernando Medeiros dictated everything from the base, and his patience set up Andrey Yago to make it 4-0 in the 58th minute. Petrocub at least found something when Nicolae Rotaru, supplied by Ion Jardan, pulled one back in the 63rd minute. It was a fleeting consolation. Dede responded immediately with a triple change in the 64th minute, introducing Idrissa Diabaté, Numan Ajetovikj and Ildi Gruda. The bench lifted the tempo rather than killed it.

Bakayoko kept hunting. He was still driving at the Petrocub line late on, took Gruda’s pass and scored in the 84th minute. Medeiros released Gruda in the 90th minute for the sixth goal, and the substitute’s booking in the first minute of added time did nothing to wipe the smile from Dede’s face. Geralb Smajli had already been cautioned for simulation in the 83rd minute, with Ajetovikj and Ovidiu David picking up yellow cards in the 86th and 89th minutes respectively. Petrocub even sent on Mihail Lupan in the 69th minute, a move that changed nothing.

Dede’s 5-3-2 keeps the distances compact, and the chemistry between the forwards is real. Bakayoko is the headline act but Medeiros, Jaime and Yago make the structure work. Rotaru’s goal confirmed Petrocub can pass through the thirds when the tempo drops, yet Makharadze never solved the problem of the second ball in zone fourteen. Egnatia’s win is not just about goals, it is about control. For more on how the rest of this qualifying round is unfolding, head over to Sutjeska vs Kairat Almaty.

Dede will now prepare for the second qualifying round with selection headaches of the right kind. The Albanian champions travel full of conviction. Petrocub head back to Moldova with questions for their summer market. Expect Egnatia to look for reinforcements but the core is locked. Updates to follow once UEFA confirms the next opponent.

Statistics

Score: Egnatia Rrogozhinë 6-1 Petrocub (7-2 aggregate)

Goals:
2nd minute Eneo Bitri (assist Soumaila Bakayoko)
30th minute Alessandro Albanese (assist Guillem Jaime)
44th minute Mihail Plătică own goal
58th minute Andrey Yago (assist Fernando Medeiros)
63rd minute Nicolae Rotaru (assist Ion Jardan)
84th minute Soumaila Bakayoko (assist Ildi Gruda)
90th minute Ildi Gruda (assist Fernando Medeiros)

Bookings:
33rd minute Petru Popescu
83rd minute Geralb Smajli
86th minute Numan Ajetovikj
89th minute Ovidiu David
90th minute plus 1 Ildi Gruda

Substitutions:
46th minute Marius Cojocaru for Sergiu Plătică
46th minute Ovidiu David for Dan Pușcaș
46th minute Ion Botnari for Marius Iosipoi
46th minute Ion Borș for Mihail Plătică
64th minute Idrissa Diabaté for Karim Loukili
64th minute Numan Ajetovikj for Eneo Bitri
64th minute Ildi Gruda for Alessandro Albanese
69th minute Mihail Lupan introduced
79th minute Geralb Smajli for Altin Kryeziu
85th minute Erald Ndreca for Eljon Sota

Formations:
Egnatia Rrogozhinë 5-3-2 (coach Nevil Dede)
Petrocub 5-3-2 (coach Shota Makharadze)