FC Astra Ploiesti 1 : 0 Dinamo Zagreb - Bukari goal seals Astra win
Posted Friday, November 28, 2014 by PA
FC Astra Giurgiu recorded their first win in this season's Europa League and resolved the Group D qualification conundrum in the process.
A 1-0 success over Dinamo Zagreb not only earned the Romanian club their first three points, but it also put Celtic and Salzburg through.
With Celtic losing at home to the Austrians, a win for Dinamo would have kept them in the hunt.
Sadat Bukari's goal put paid to that, though, a rare highlight on a dismal night at Stadionul Marin Anastasovici.
In a lifeless first half, neither side really got going.
Astra had the first chance 14 minutes in, Sadat Bukari slotting wide from 12 yards.
Zagreb responded with El Arbi Soudani heading wide from a Domagoj Antolic cross.
The Croatian side continued on the front foot and missed a double-chance on the 22-minute mark.
Bruno's initial shot was saved by Silviu Lung and on the rebound Angelo Henriquez hit wide.
That was as good as it got for the first half, too, with Junior Morais' long-ranger for Astra barely worth mentioning.
After such a drab first half it was a surprise to see the second start with a goal.
Four minutes after the restart Bukari found his range from six yards, tapping in a cross from Takayuki Seto.
The goal did nothing other than to kill the game stone dead, though, for after Bukari's strike neither side remotely threatened and the contest petered out.
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