Champions League: CFR Cluj defeats FC Astana 3-1 to qualify to second preliminary qualifying round

Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj has qualified to the second preliminary qualifying round of the Champions League Wednesday night, after defeating Kazakhstan’s FC Astana 3-1 (2-1) in Cluj-Napoca.

The Romanian champions have qualified with a lot of emotions after losing 0-1 in Kazakhstan.

The guests opened the score by Roman Murtazaev (4^th min.) but the team coached by Dan Petrescu managed to score three times through Billel Omrani (10^th, 73^rd minutes) and Evghenyi Postnikov (26^th minute, own goal) and in the last seconds of the match was lucky and escaped without a goal.

CFR will play in the second preliminary qualifying round of Champions League against Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv, while FC Astana will face FC Santa Coloma (Andorra) in the second preliminary qualifying round of Europa League.

Teams:

CFR Cluj: 87. Giedrius Arlauskis – 16. Mateo Susic, 55. Paulo Vinicius, 3. Andrei Burcă, 45. Mario Camora (captain) – 8. Damjan Djokovic, 37. Mihai Bordeianu, 19. Juan Culio – 10. Ciprian Deac (28. Ovidiu Hoban, 86^th min.), 99. Mario Rondon (18. Valentin Ionuţ Costache, 66^th min.), 9. Billel Omrani (11. Michael Pereira, 85^th min.). Cooach: Dan Petrescu (photo 2).

FC Astana: 1. Nenad Eric (captain) – 2. Antonio Rukavina, 44. Evgheni Postnikov, 24. Luka Simunovic, 15. Abzal Beisebekov (5. Marin Anicic, 81^st min.) – 27. Iuri Logvinenko – 14. Marin Tomasov (19. Firmin Mubele, 62^nd min.), 18. Ivan Maevski, 10. Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (32. Rangelo Janga, 81^st min.), 9. Dorin Rotariu – 45. Roman Murtazaev. Coach: Roman Grigorchuk.