Edvinas Gertmonas and FC Universitatea Cluj suffered a narrow but costly 0-1 defeat away to title rivals CFR Cluj in the Liga I, denting their championship ambitions.
The Lithuanian international returned to the starting lineup just four days after his side reached the Romanian Cup final, where Universitatea Cluj overcame FC Arges on penalties. With the title race heating up, this clash against CFR Cluj – who trailed the leaders by five points before kickoff – carried enormous significance.
Interestingly, Gertmonas had a relatively quiet first half despite the hosts registering nine attempts. None of those efforts tested the goalkeeper, as CFR Cluj struggled to find the target. That changed after the break.
In the 70th minute, substitute Andrei Cordea made the decisive impact, converting a penalty to give the home side a crucial lead. It proved to be one of only two shots on target for CFR Cluj – but it was enough.
Universitatea Cluj, meanwhile, failed to unlock the opposition defense and could not find an equaliser, ultimately settling for a frustrating defeat.
This marked Gertmonas’ 23rd league appearance of the season. Despite the loss, the title race remains wide open. Until the completion of other fixtures, Universitatea Cluj still sit level on points with Universitatea Craiova, who currently edge ahead on head-to-head record and are set to face Arges on Monday.
With four rounds remaining in the championship, every result becomes decisive. Universitatea Cluj will look to bounce back next Saturday when they host FC Arges Pitesti in another crucial encounter.
