Csikszereda Seizes Breakthrough at Hermannstadt, Shaking Up Liga I’s Battle for Survival
Under a steely autumn sky at Stadionul Municipal, Csikszereda finally wrote their name in the Liga I win column on the road, grinding out a 2-0 victory over AFC Hermannstadt that could well breathe new life into a campaign stifled by missed chances and mounting pressure. For a side that had spent much of the young season buried near the foot of the table, this result was more than just three points—it was a statement of resilience and renewal.
From the opening whistle, the match bore the hallmarks of a tense relegation tussle. Both teams entered the day floundering just above the drop zone, Hermannstadt clinging to 13th place and Csikszereda even more precariously situated in 15th, with only a single victory to their name in 12 previous outings. Hermannstadt, nursing the wounds of four losses in their last five league games, sought a performance to steady their wavering trajectory. Instead, Csikszereda dictated the narrative.
The turning point arrived seven minutes before halftime. After a cagey opening half-hour, Csikszereda found their incisive edge. Márton Eppel, who has emerged as the pulse of Csikszereda’s attack in recent weeks, struck with cold efficiency in the 38th minute. Latching onto a clever through ball, Eppel shrugged off his marker and calmly tucked his shot past the outstretched goalkeeper, silencing the home crowd and handing the visitors a crucial lead. It marked Eppel’s third goal in as many games—a run that has transformed him from peripheral figure to central talisman in Csikszereda’s struggle for relevance.
If the first goal exposed Hermannstadt’s fragility, the hosts’ response underscored their current malaise. Bereft of clear ideas in the final third, Hermannstadt looked a shadow of the side that stunned Rapid earlier in the fall. Their passing was hesitant, the attacks disjointed. Even when Dragoș Albu and Sergiu Buş—so often the creative engine—were handed half-chances, Csikszereda’s defense, marshaled by the tireless Lóránd Pászka, held firm.
As pressure mounted, Hermannstadt pushed numbers forward, desperate for an equalizer. But in the 77th minute, Csikszereda struck again, this time with devastating ruthlessness on the counter. Soufiane Jebari—whose movement had teased danger all afternoon—found space on the edge of the area and unleashed a crisp strike that rippled into the bottom corner. The goal snuffed out any lingering hope of a comeback and propelled the visiting bench into raucous celebration.
Neither side suffered a red card, though yellow cards punctuated spells of frustration as tensions simmered in a match heavy with consequence. By the final whistle, Hermannstadt’s supporters filtered out in uneasy silence, left to contemplate a fifth defeat in six matches and a slide that now leaves them just one point clear of their conquerors in the standings.
This was not merely a routine away win. For Csikszereda, the result snaps a five-game winless run outside their home ground and punctuates a period of improving form, including last week’s gritty 2-2 draw against CFR Cluj. The haul lifts them to 12 points, leapfrogging them out of the automatic relegation spots—at least for now—and injects momentum into a dressing room that has been flirting with despair.
For Hermannstadt, the defeat marks another chapter in a troubling pattern. Since their September win at Rapid—a performance that sparked dreams of revival—they have managed just one point and scored only three goals in five subsequent matches. The lack of attacking cohesion is glaring; in their last three home fixtures, they have failed to score, a drought that a once-optimistic crowd is finding increasingly difficult to abide.
These two clubs have rarely been separated by more than a handful of points in recent Liga I campaigns, and today’s result only tightens the margins. The rivalry lacks the historical weight of Romania’s traditional derbies, but its significance is no less acute for fans staring nervously at the bottom of the table.
As matches tick down and the pressure of survival mounts, every point carries the weight of consequence. For Csikszereda, the challenge is to translate this spark into sustained revival—starting with a daunting trip to face a top-half side next weekend. Their renewed confidence, anchored by the scoring form of Eppel and Jebari, offers hope of climbing clear of the relegation fray.
For Hermannstadt, the road ahead is less certain. With their cushion above the bottom now razor-thin and goals growing ever scarcer, the coming weeks will demand a searching examination of both tactics and mentality. Anything less, and the club may soon find itself drawn deeper into Liga I’s harshest fight.
In the shadows of Stadionul Municipal, the battle for survival has only just begun. Today, it is Csikszereda who walk away with hope restored—and the table, for now, tilting in their favor.