FCSB 3 ABERDEEN 0 Thursday 28 August 2025 UEFA Europa League Qualifying play-off second leg Arena Nationala Attendance: Referee: Espen Eskas
Aberdeen’s European dreams were extinguished when an excellent first half display was snuffed out by a controversial penalty award on the brink of the break that came with the double jeopardy of a red card for Alexander Jensen.
Jimmy Thelin made five changes from the Aberdeen side that played in the first leg as the Dons travelled to Bucharest to take on the Romanian champions. Alfie Dorrington, Gavin Molloy, Nicolas Milanovic, Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Kusini Yengi were among the subs, with Graeme Shinnie, Mats Knoester, Nicky Devlin, Dante Polvara and Ester Sokler in the starting line up.
FCSB made four changes with Graovac, Chirches and Pantea on the bench and Cisotti suspended. Into their places came Ngezana, Radunovic, Lixandru and Olaru.
The Dons started at pace and probably should have taken a second minute lead. Shinnie produced a lovely pass to set Alexander Jensen away on the left. He found Adil Aouchiche running in behind, Tarnovanu getting down well to save his shot across the face but as the ball ricocheted clear, Sokler was onto it, jabbing at goal from five yards out, only for Tarnovanu to find a good reflex save to keep the ball out.
FCSB had their first sight of goal on 11 minutes, the impressive Birligea drifting in from the left and arcing a dangerous shot around Dimitar Mitov but just wide of the far post.
The Dons were straight back up the other end, Ante Palaversa crossing first time to the back post. Polvara was up to win the header at the far post knocking it down to Aouchiche but his volley was just over the bar. Moments later, Sokler was in the book for a tackle on Popescu. Jensen was next in the book for a challenge on Cretu after 21 minutes.
Good play from Topi Keskinen and Aouchiche took Aberdeen deep into FCSB territory on 29, winning a corner that Tarnovanu could only flap at in unconvincing fashion, his defenders helping him clear his lines. Knoester was the third Aberdeen man to be booked, carded for a foul on Birligea in the 34th minute.
Good work from Lixandru got him into the box two minutes later, but as he tried to feed Birligea, the Dons were able to crowd the striker out and the chance was gone.
Aberdeen were on the break on 39, Keskinen setting Devlin on the chase. His cross to the back post was just a fraction too high for Polvara and he couldn’t quite get his header back across goal on target, the ball going over the bar.
FCSB were on the counter-attack a minute later, Miculescu breaking away from Jensen onto a ball over the top, but as he got into the box, the striker got himself into a tangle and went to the ground. There was no contact from Jensen.
After a long delay, the referee though was sent to the screen and concluded that as Miculescu had fallen, from very close range, Jensen had brushed the ball as it flicked up with his hand – it was clearly accidental. A penalty was given, and Jensen received a second yellow card, a very harsh decision. It was certainly not a clear and obvious.
Olaru stepped up and buried the penalty into the side netting, just beyond Mitov’s clutches, to give his side the lead.
HALF-TIME: FCSB 1 ABERDEEN 0
The Dons replaced Sokler and Polvara with Heltne Nilsen and Leighton Clarkson at the break. FCSB doubled the lead on 52. Miculescu started the move, cutting inside and bending one across goal, Mitov pushing the ball onto the post with a fine save. But FCSB recycled the ball and Sut was given time to absolutely leather the ball into net from 22 yards out, Mitov unsighted.
It requiring the Dons to perform miracles from there.
Mitov kept his side in with faint hopes with a brilliant near post from a rasping Tanase drive after 56 minutes, Aberdeen desperately trying to keep the hosts at bay while trying to find a way back into the game at the other end.
It was 3-0 on 59, Cretu pinching the ball in midfield and driving forward before finding Olaru on the edge of the area. His low shot clipped Jack Milne on its way past Mitov to seal the tie for the home team. Milanovic and Yengi replaced Keskinen and Palversa after 66 minutes. Aberdeen weren’t far from getting a goal back two minutes later, a neat passing move getting Devlin away on the right. His low cross was pawed away by Tarnovanu and nearly cannoned into the net off Ngenzana.
From the resultant corner, the ball was worked out to Clarkson. His cross was met by Knoester but his header was straight at the goalkeeper.
Tanase was booked for a hack on Aouchiche on 70 minutes. Aberdeen made their final change on 74, Alfie Dorrington on for Knoester. Alhassan replaced Olaru for the hosts four minutes later. Milanovic was booked for a foul on Cretu after 81 minutes, Tanase replaced by Politic on 83. They then made a triple change on 89, Miculescu, Berligia and Lixadru making way for Alibec, Popescu and Chirches.
Mitov was at full stretch in the last minute of normal time, clawing away a shot from distance from Politic at the expense of a corner, the last action of a night that had promised so much for 40 minutes, only to be derailed by VAR.
FCSB: Tarnovanu, Cretu, Ngenzana, M.Popescu, Radunovic, Lixandru (Alibec 89), Sut, Miculescu (Chirches 89), Tanase (Politic 83), Olaru (Alhassan 78), Birligea (O.Popescu 89).
Subs not used: Zima, Graovac, Kiki, Edjouma, Pantea, Udrea.
GOALS: Olaru (45+1 (pen), 59), Sut (52) BOOKED: Tanase
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Devlin, Milne, Knoester (Dorrington 74), Jensen, Palaversa (Yengi 66), Shinnie, Polvara (Heltne Nilsen 46), Aouchiche, Keskinen (Milanovic 66), Sokler (Clarkson 46).
Subs not used: Suman, Vitols, Molloy, Bilalovic, Boyd, Lobban.
SENT OFF: Jensen
BOOKED: Sokler, Jensen, Knoester, Milanovic
