CS Afumati vs CSM Reşiţa Match Recap - Oct 18, 2025

Late Drama Lifts CSM Reşiţa Amidst Tight Liga II Table as Afumati Falter at Home

League tables tell only part of the story, especially on a day that saw CSM Reşiţa overturn a second-half deficit to claim a 3-2 victory at CS Afumati that could loom large in the jostle for promotion in Romania’s Liga II. In a match of shifting tides and fine margins at Stadionul Comunal Afumati, it was the visitors’ resilience and cool heads in decisive moments that tipped the balance, leaving Afumati crestfallen after leading with less than half an hour to play.

The afternoon’s first act belonged to the visitors—an early penalty, struck with authority in the eighth minute, thrust CSM Reşiţa into the lead, a moment that gleamed with the promise of a clinical away performance. Afumati, though, weren’t cowed by the early setback. Instead, they steadied themselves, gradually knitting their midfield lines tighter, and found their equalizer just past the half-hour mark. The goal crystallized their best spell of pressure, reward for a run of positive play that suggested the home side’s early-season form—marked by four wins in their opening nine matches—was no fluke.

With the contest delicately poised at 1-1 at halftime, the momentum seemed to tip toward the hosts when, nine minutes after the restart, Afumati surged ahead. Their second goal, a close-range finish following a slick passage of play, sent the home support into rapture and signaled a potential turning point. At that moment, Afumati looked poised to leapfrog Reşiţa in the standings, setting the stage for a statement win after a pair of stumbles—a scoreless draw away at Dinamo București and a narrow defeat to Concordia—that had tempered their early bright streak.

But CSM Reşiţa, having proven their mettle in tight contests this season, summoned another gear. At 63 minutes, just as anxiety began to nibble at their touch, they found parity again, punishing Afumati’s defense with a quick, incisive attack. The equalizer was a blow to the hosts’ composure, and as fatigue crept in, Reşiţa smelled blood. With six minutes left on the clock, a sweeping move down the right flank cracked the game open for good, the visitors’ third goal clinching both the points and a vital psychological edge as the season’s first act draws to a close.

For Afumati, the defeat stings beyond the immediate loss of points. Having now claimed just one win from their last four, their campaign’s early swagger is in danger of slipping into the rearview. Tenth in the table with 14 points from nine matches, consistency is proving elusive—a trait highlighted by their uneven September and October run. Today’s match typified their season: flashes of incisive play, moments of promise, but a soft underbelly exposed in high-pressure moments. The home crowd, boisterous at halftime, filtered out subdued, acutely aware of how narrow the margins are in Liga II’s crowded midfield.

For Reşiţa, there is little time for celebration, but much to build upon. The win vaults them to 16 points—now 8th in the standings—and provides a crucial psychological lift after recent erratic results: a win against Slatina, a wild 3-2 loss on the road at FC Voluntari, a steadying draw at Bacau, and a pair of home wins that hinted at their potential but lacked the consistency needed for a real push. Saturday’s comeback was a performance of grit and composure, qualities they will need in abundance as they seek to close the gap to the league’s high-fliers.

If history between these two sides had offered any certainties, it was that margins would be slim and drama abundant. Past meetings have rarely lacked for incident, and this chapter offered more of the same—a seesaw contest where every error and every act of quality shaped the narrative.

The campaign’s midpoint approaches, and with it, the stakes rise for both clubs. Afumati—now in search of renewed conviction—face a run of fixtures that will define whether they are true promotion contenders or destined for the anonymity of mid-table. For CSM Reşiţa, today’s surge could be the harbinger of a sustained ascent, provided they can translate this late heroism into week-on-week reliability.

Both teams exit Stadionul Comunal with ample food for thought. For Afumati, the questions are existential: how to convert moments of promise into points. For Reşiţa, the answer needs only to be more of the same, as they look upward, eyes fixed on the top of a table still rich with opportunity and peril in equal measure.