The Kosovar press harshly analyzed their national team’s failure against Romania in the Nations League debut and Mircea Lucescu’s return to the national team’s bench after 38 years, with a score of 0-3.
There were three goals scored by Man, Drăguș, and Răzvan Marin, the latter from a penalty, and the Kosovar team was left with one man down after Vojvoda’s late-game expulsion. „Kosovo despairs, defeated by Romania at ‘Fadil Vokrri’,” headlined the Koha newspaper. The Kosovars continued: „There were high hopes, but in the end, there was only great despair.”
"The Kosovo national team completely failed in the first match of the new Nations League edition. On Friday evening at Fadil Vokrri in Pristina, Kosovo suffered a deep loss, 0-3 against Romania. The match started well but ended very badly. With three goals conceded, a player sent off, and actions by fans that are expected to be punished by UEFA.
Although the stadium was full of spectators and the support was strong from the beginning, Kosovo showed very little at Fadil Vokrri. The Romanians absorbed the initial pressure from the first ten minutes. Then the game was balanced, and in the 40th minute, the Romanians scored for 1-0. After a mistake by Elvis Rexhbecaj, Dennis Man scored, and the Romanians took the lead at a crucial moment.
Furthermore, Kosovo showed nothing. There were no actions and almost no danger for the Romanian goal, just like in the first half. In the 82nd minute, Denis Drăguș scored the third goal for Romania. This time, Fidan Aliti made a mistake. Aro Muric saved the first shot but rebounded in front, and Drăguș scored from close range," the aforementioned Kosovar newspaper further wrote.
Next for Kosovo is an away match in Cyprus on Monday evening, while we will face Lithuania on home turf at the Steaua stadium.
D.A.