Universitatea Craiova 1-0 ML Vitebsk: Bancu settles it late
Universitatea Craiova closed out ML Vitebsk 1-0 on Wednesday night, sealing the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie 5-1 on aggregate at Stadionul Ion Oblemenco.
Bancu delivers late
Nicușor Bancu decided it in the 90th minute, finishing after Anzor Mekvabishvili’s cut-back just three minutes after the Georgian midfielder had come on. It was the only shot on target Craiova produced, but it was enough to reward an evening of pressure that never quite turned into chances until the final act. With the crowd yearning for a moment, the captain’s intervention kept Marius Rădoi’s European push on schedule.
Rădoi’s adjustments pay off
Craiova started in a 3-4-3 with Ștefan Baiaram flanked by Monday Etim and Assad Al Hamlawi, yet both wide forwards collected yellow cards by the 42nd minute and departed at half-time. Rădoi reacted decisively, sending on Heriberto Tavares, Simon Elisor and Nikola Stevanović at the interval to sharpen the attack and steady the back line. Craiova controlled possession phases through Alexandru Cicâldău and Tudor Băluță, while Carlos Mora supplied width on the right until Bancu replaced Băluță in the 73rd minute to tilt the game from the left.
Vitebsk kept quiet
Mikhail Martinovich’s 4-1-4-1 asked Artem Kontsevoy to press high, but ML Vitebsk produced only a single shot on target. Valery Bocherov and Aleksandar Mesarović could not break Craiova’s three-man defence, and even after completing a trio of substitutions by the 56th minute, the visitors remained blunt. Shamar Nicholson’s arrival in the 77th minute gave them a focal point, yet Adrian Rus and Juraj Badelj handled the aerial traffic despite Rus collecting a yellow card in the 86th minute.
Key Figures
- Possession: Universitatea Craiova 49 percent, ML Vitebsk 51 percent
- Shots on target: Universitatea Craiova 1, ML Vitebsk 1
- Total shots: Universitatea Craiova 4, ML Vitebsk 1
- Corners: Universitatea Craiova 2, ML Vitebsk 1
- Discipline: yellow cards for Assad Al Hamlawi (39th minute), Monday Etim (42nd minute), Adrian Rus (86th minute)
Outlook
Craiova move into the second qualifying round with confidence restored and Bancu back in rhythm, while Rădoi will note the need for sharper finishing before the next European hurdle is drawn. Vitebsk head home after offering little threat, their continental run halted at the first step. For more from this round, see Match Report.
