How it happened
Eduard Pap kept FK Csíkszereda Miercurea Ciuc in the match. The goalkeeper made 11 saves, earned a match rating of 9.9 and protected a point that his side then had to defend with nine players.
R. Brito put SC Oțelul Galați ahead in the 23rd minute, and the home side led 1-0 at the break. Csíkszereda equalised in the 52nd minute through N. Kukovec, with Albert Stahl credited with the assist.
The visitors then lost their numbers. D. Vuković was sent off in the 73rd minute and Kukovec, the scorer, followed in the 77th. Oțelul had the rest of the match against nine men but could not find a second goal.
The numbers
Oțelul had 29 shots to 14, and 12 of them were on target. Pap saved 11 of those 12. The estimated expected goals were 3.03 to 1.47, so the home side created far more than a single goal's worth of chances. They also held 63% of possession and won 10 corners to two.
Csíkszereda were not passive. Six of their 14 shots hit the target, and Cosmin Dur-Bozoancă made five saves for Oțelul, earning a match rating of 8.2. Stahl, who played 64 minutes, had two key passes as well as his assist and a rating of 8.1.
What it means
The point is a rare one for Csíkszereda. The table shows them 16th with 2 points from 12 matches: no wins, two draws and 10 defeats, with 7 goals scored and 25 conceded.
Oțelul are 13th with 11 points, from two wins, five draws and five defeats. Their goal difference is -5, and their expected goals for of 15.6 is above the 12 goals they have scored.
The two sides had met three times before, with one win each and one draw. Csíkszereda won the latest, 3-2 on 14 March. This meeting produced two goals, fewer than the 3.33 average of those earlier games.