CS Universitatea Craiova 1–1 Sabah Baku: Late Equaliser Denies Romanian Side

CS Universitatea Craiova and Sabah Baku played out a 1–1 draw in an international club friendly on 25 June 2026 at Stadionul Ion Oblemenco. The match served as a useful fitness test for both sides as they fine‑tune their squads ahead of the new season.

Craiova dominated the early exchanges and took a deserved lead in the 28th minute. Midfielder Alexandru Mitriță curled a free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Sabah goalkeeper Yury Mykhailenko with no chance. The Romanian side continued to press, with striker Andrei Ivan hitting the crossbar with a header just before half‑time.

Sabah grew into the game after the break. The Azerbaijani side introduced fresh legs and began to find gaps in the Craiova defence. Their pressure paid off in the 82nd minute when substitute Rashad Sadygov latched onto a loose ball inside the box and fired home to level the scores. Craiova pushed for a winner in the closing minutes, but Mykhailenko produced a fine save to deny a long‑range effort from Vladimir Screciu.

Match highlights

• 28’ – Alexandru Mitriță opens the scoring with a brilliant free kick.
• 42’ – Andrei Ivan hits the woodwork for Craiova.
• 82’ – Rashad Sadygov equalises for Sabah Baku.
• 89’ – Mykhailenko saves Screciu’s drive to preserve the draw.

Standout performers

• Alexandru Mitriță (Craiova) – Excellent free kick and creative in midfield.
• Rashad Sadygov (Sabah) – Impact substitute who scored the equaliser.
• Yury Mykhailenko (Sabah) – Made several key saves, especially late on.

Friendly context and next steps

Both managers will be satisfied with the run‑out. Craiova showed good attacking intent but lacked the final touch to make the game safe. Sabah’s resilience and fitness levels were encouraging. The match was a solid step in pre‑season preparations for the upcoming Liga I and Azerbaijan Premier League campaigns respectively.