Craiova took the lead, but Rapid fought back in a thrilling Giulești draw

Universitatea Craiova controlled the opening stages at Rapid Bucharest and quickly tested the home defense. Baiaram sent a dangerous shot toward goal, while Băluță forced Aioani to make a save from distance.

Craiova took the lead in the 29th minute. Nikola Stevanovic capitalized on an ill-judged sortie by Aioani and headed in after the goalkeeper misread the flight of a ball delivered by a Craiova defender.

Rapid had chances to level before halftime. Stojilkovic went one-on-one with Laurențiu Popescu, but the Craiova goalkeeper won the duel. The Rapid striker later missed another good opportunity when his shot failed to find the target.

Rapid returned from the break with greater intensity and attacked consistently. After several missed chances, the pressure finally produced an equalizer in the 67th minute. Moruțan made an excellent move down the left and sent the ball hard across the face of goal, where Stojilkovic arrived to turn it into the net.

Both teams continued to seek a winning goal. Popescu denied Stojilkovic's attempted lob in the 78th minute, while Nsimba shot wide after beating Kramer. In the 89th minute, Etim tested Aioani at the near post, but the Rapid goalkeeper held the ball. The final whistle confirmed a 1-1 draw.