Rapid București Edge UTA Arad In Dramatic Superliga Clash

Monday night at the Arena "Francisc Neuman" in Arad brought a whirlwind of drama, intensity, and tactical chess as Rapid București edged UTA Arad 2-1 in the 23rd round of the Superliga. This encounter, steeped in history and fierce competition, delivered on every front, leaving fans on both sides with plenty to talk about and perhaps even more to anticipate as the season barrels forward.

UTA, spurred on by their passionate home crowd and a five-match unbeaten streak, started the match with fire in their bellies. The opening minutes saw the hosts pressing hard, their attacks orchestrated with precision and urgency. It didn’t take long for the pressure to bear fruit. In the 19th minute, Marius Coman received the ball after a failed shot by Țuțu and unleashed a thunderous strike from inside the penalty area. The ball rocketed into the top corner, leaving Rapid goalkeeper Marian Aioani rooted to the spot. As the stadium erupted, it looked like UTA might just extend their impressive run.

But Rapid, under the guidance of coach Costel Gâlcă, weren’t about to roll over. The visitors responded with measured attacks, gradually finding their rhythm. Their persistence paid off just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, a pivotal moment swung the match. Rapid’s pressure led to a handball by Dmitro Pospelov in the box. Referee Sebastian Colțescu, after consulting the VAR monitor, upheld his decision and pointed to the spot. Alexandru Dobre stepped up and coolly slotted the penalty to the left of UTA’s goalkeeper Gorcea, who dived the other way. The goal not only leveled the score but also shifted the momentum heading into the break.

The second half kicked off with both teams eager to seize control. UTA, coached by Adrian Mihalcea, continued to push forward, but Rapid’s defense held firm. The visitors, meanwhile, began to find more space, especially after introducing the dynamic Olimpiu Moruțan in the 62nd minute for his Rapid debut. Moruțan’s presence injected new energy and creativity into Rapid’s midfield, setting the stage for the decisive moments to come.

One of the game’s turning points came at the 79th minute. Rapid earned a corner, and Moruțan, eager to make an impact, delivered a precise ball into the box. Dobre, already on the scoresheet, rose to meet it with a powerful header. Though his effort was deflected, the ball fell kindly to Leo Bolgado, the Brazilian defender who had entered at halftime. Bolgado wasted no time, smashing the ball home from six meters out, sending the traveling Rapid fans into jubilation. It was a textbook example of being in the right place at the right time, and it proved to be the game-winner.

UTA fought valiantly to claw back into the match. They created several half-chances, with Sota Mino and Alin Roman coming close, but Rapid’s defense and goalkeeper Aioani stood tall. In the dying moments, frustration boiled over for the hosts. Dmitro Pospelov, already on a yellow card, received a second booking in the fourth minute of stoppage time and was sent off, capping a night to forget for the UTA defender.

Referee Sebastian Colțescu, assisted by Cristian Daniel Ilinca and Alexandru Vodă, kept a firm grip on proceedings, with VAR duties handled by Iulian Dima. The officiating team was kept busy, especially with the crucial penalty decision and the late red card.

This victory marks Rapid’s second narrow win of the year and their second triumph over UTA this season, having previously bested them 2-0 in the first leg. The historical rivalry between these two sides is as tight as ever—out of 75 meetings in the main domestic competition, Rapid now boasts 29 wins to UTA’s 25, with 21 draws. When UTA plays host, however, the record still favors the home side with 17 victories in 38 matches, but Rapid’s 10 away wins are nothing to scoff at.

For UTA, this defeat stings even more considering their strong recent form. The club had not lost in five rounds, collecting four wins and a draw, and their last Superliga victory over Rapid dated all the way back to May 2, 2008. Coach Adrian Mihalcea, reflecting before the match, acknowledged the challenge: “It will be a difficult match. We’re facing one of the toughest teams in the league. They have many good players in all areas. As always, we’re prepared to win the three points. This week has been pretty good. We had some individual discussions, and the players are focused on trying to win on Monday. There are matches where even a point would help us. I think a draw against a title contender right now would be a good result for us. But that doesn’t mean we’re not preparing to win, as we always do.”

Mihalcea also emphasized that making the play-offs was not an explicit objective for his squad, stating, “We don’t have the play-off as a goal. It’s not the case that after every win we start thinking about the play-offs. There’s no clear objective regarding the play-offs at this moment. But if our journey gives us this chance, we won’t step aside. Only, if, God forbid, we lose three matches in a row, what do we do? Start thinking about how to avoid relegation?”

On the other side, Rapid’s coach Costel Gâlcă had hinted at his plans for Moruțan, saying, “UTA is a good team, a team that hasn’t lost in their last three home matches. We expect a game of great intensity, but it’s important for us to impose our style of play because they have aggressive players who can make a difference. We’ll have to be consistent, inspired. It depends on the team, on the form of the players, what we’ll do in the next matches. I plan to introduce Olimpiu, but we’ll see, it depends a lot on the game and how things unfold.” Moruțan’s debut and assist on the winning goal certainly validated Gâlcă’s strategy.

With this victory, Rapid continues to build momentum, having secured both their matches this year by the slimmest of margins. Their away form, a concern in recent months, gets a much-needed boost with this hard-fought win. For UTA, the challenge now is to regroup and rediscover their early-season resilience as the campaign enters its decisive phase.

As the dust settles in Arad, Rapid’s fans will savor a night of clinical finishing and dogged determination, while UTA must look ahead, knowing that the season is far from over and opportunities for redemption still abound.