In Austria’s World Cup qualifier H, Cyprus and Romania share the points with a 2-2 after a gripping duel.
The Romanian guests prefer Denis Dragut (2nd, 18th), but the home side prove morality and come back through hits from Loizos Loizou (29th) and substitute Charalampos Charalampous (76.).
In Group H table, however, the tie helps neither of the two teams decisively, the distance between Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina is already huge.
Romania with lightning start
The game in the GSP stage in Nikosia starts with a bang for the group of Mircea Lucescu: Denis Dragut is already using the first opportunity in the second minute and is on 1-0 for Romania. The guests remain the game -determining team, and it is again Dragut who increases to 2-0 in the 18th minute after Prelimination by Razvan Marin.
The eleven of Apostolos Mantzios initially seems shocked, but finds better into the game after around 20 minutes and comes through Kostas Pileas (19th) and Marinos Tzionis (24th) to the first degrees. The deserved connection hit succeeds before the break whistle, when Loizos Loizou shortened to 1: 2 after a pass from Grigoris Kastanos (29th).
Cyprus turns up in half two
After the change of sides, the game tilts and Cyprus takes control. With more possession of the ball (58 percent), the hosts press the equalization and generate considerable pressure after around an hour through a series of corner balls.
Romania withdraws increasingly and is limited to defense of the narrow formation. The efforts of the Mantzios elf are finally rewarded: In the 76th minute, substitute Charalampos Charalampous meets Cakoullis, which was also new and 2- 2, after presenting the new Andronikos. In the final phase, Cyprus even has the winning goal on the foot, but the Romanian goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan parried a shot from Ioannis Pittas in injury time.
The point gain is not enough for both teams to significantly shorten the gap to the Leadership duo Bosnia-Herzegovina and Austria.
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