Petrocub Hînceşti crashed out of Europa League qualifiers, after Cypriot side AEK Larnaca built on their first-leg 1-0 victory to secure a 2-0 aggregate win in Chisinau.
It was in added time that the scoreboard finally changed in AEK’s favor, but it was the hosts’ Maxim Potîrniche who they had to thank for an own goal. Petrocub’s Vladimir Ambros, National Division top scorer last year, had some important missed chances.
“We encountered a fairly organized, technical and worthy opposite side. It was a difficult game for us in every respect. We hoped for a goal. Our strategy was to score, while not conceding. We did manage a clean sheet up until the 90th minute, but we didn’t score,” Petrocub manager Lilian Popescu told the post-game press conference.
In Orhei, Milsami was beaten 1-2 by Romanian championship runners-up FCSB. Milsami’s only goal was scored by Vadim Bolohan.
A third Moldovan club, Speranța Nisporeni, took a heavy 0-6 beating from Neftchi in Baku.
Sheriff Tiraspol are now the only Moldovan club left in Europa League, after dropping out from the Champions League qualifiers. In the second round, “The Wasps” will play against the Albanian champions Partizani Tirana.
