YB is no more than 1: 1 in Cluj – more would have been possible

The Young Boys enter the second Europa League group match against Romanian champion Cluj with 1: 1 lean food. Christian Fassnacht’s compensation could be valuable on the final bill.

No, it was not a pleasure that the two hopefuls offered for second place in Group A behind AS Roma in front of the empty spectator stands in the university city of Cluj-Napoca. For a long time it was even a game of looking away. The 1: 1 could prove valuable to the Young Boys. If the opponent is so harmless in the second duel in Bern, the progress seems realistic. With AS Roma not going more than 0-0 at home against CSKA Sofia, all four teams are within three points after two rounds.

The Young Boys were obviously superior to the extremely experienced and defensively well organized opponent, but also limited in terms of football, but at times they acted quite erratically and supposedly pulled on the handbrake, which couldn’t be due to lack of test. Coach Gerardo Seoane made only two changes to the starting lineup compared to the 2-1 win against Lucerna at the weekend. “It would have been more possible, but we have to be satisfied with the point after falling behind,” Christian Fassnacht said in an interview.

Equalization seven minutes after the deficit

After an hour, YB was punished 0: 1 for his faltering work. In a corner, Cluj’s second notable offensive action, the Bernese were surprisingly passive in several aerial duels. The ball eventually landed at the feet of striker Mario Rondón, who had time and space in the full penalty area to spy on the gap. Cédric Zesiger’s foot made it 0-1. After all, the Young Boys showed a reaction afterward. Cluj’s flattering lead lasted just seven minutes, then Christian Fassnacht leveled on the second down after a long serve by Quentin Maceiras and a header extension by Jean-Pierre Nsame.

The Young Boys’ goal production also did not get underway in Romania. It wasn’t until eight minutes before the break that the first notable scene took place in the penalty area; Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu, whom Gerardo Seoane surprisingly nominated in left midfield, was thrown by the Cluj goalkeeper from an acute angle. Shortly before that, Nsame had given up a promising counter opportunity with an imprecise pass to Fassnacht.

Cluj, who had to replace defensive boss Paulo Vinicius after a quarter of an hour, came even less on offense. The home team were also fortunate that striker Gabriel Debeljuh was not sent off in the 34th minute after his second cautioned foul.