MILAN – To be played this evening is Cluj v Inter, the 2nd leg in the
round of 32 of the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League. As we await the kick-off at the
Stadionul Dr. Constantin Radulescu, here are some
interesting facts and statistics, courtesy of Football Data.
Inter have won their last three away games in Romania without conceding a goal:
2-0 in Bucharest against Rapid in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup, 3-0 in Brasov in the
2000/01 UEFA Cup, and 2-0 in Piatra Neamt against Vaslui in this current Europa
League campaign. The last goal let in by the Nerazzurri in Romania came in 1984
in the UEFA Cup. Inter have kept a clean sheet in the country for 277 minutes.
This is the eighth time in Inter’s history that they go into a return leg of a
European competition after a 2-0 home win. Six times the Nerazzurri have
advanced; the one exit occurred in Madrid against Real in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup.
This will be the second ever meeting between Paulo Sergio and Andrea
Stramaccioni after Inter’s 2-0 win in Milan.
Cluj and Inter face off for the second time ever in a competitive match and the first in Romania. In the first-leg challenge seven days ago in
Milan, Inter grabbed a 2-0 victory thanks to a brace from Palacio.
There have been 5 previous competitive games between Cluj and Italian teams:
the record stands at 1 win for the Romanians, 1 draw and 3 Italian victories,
with the Italian teams always managing to find the net for a total of 9 goals.
There have been 17 competitive meetings between Inter and Romanian teams, with
11 Nerazzurri wins, 3 draws and 3 Romanian victories. When examining the 8
previous competitive games played in Romania, Inter have 4 wins (including 3
out of the last 3 visits), 1 draw and 3 defeats to the Romanians.
Refereeing the match will be the 36-year-old Pole, Pawel Gil, an international
since 2009. It will be his first ever match with either Cluj or Inter and only
his second ever with a Romanian club: Dinamo Bucharest 0-2 Metalist in the
Europa League play-off last 23 August was his first. Gil has also officiated a
match with an Italian club in European competition: Zurich 1-1 Lazio on 20 October
2011 in the Europa League.
