In an enthralling fixture in Liga 1 on February 3rd 2024, Petrolul Ploiesti played host to CFR Cluj. The match, which took place at 15:00 EEST, was one that offered several talking points and dynamics for football bettors to mull over. Based on the data provided, CFR Cluj emerged as the victors in an intensely contested match with a scoreline of 2-1.

From a statistical point of view, this game was very evenly matched. We saw that the home team, Petrolul Ploiesti, managed to score their only goal in the 22nd minute during the first half, providing an early advantage. However, the lack of substantial goals suggests a certain inefficiency in their attack.

As for CFR Cluj, their two goals came in the second half at the 50th and 93rd minute mark, suggesting a strategic shift in their attacking play, or a weakening defense on the part of Petrolul Ploiesti. At the same time, managing to finish the match with only two yellow cards shows a certain level of discipline from CFR Cluj, which may well be one of the determining factors in their comeback, especially when we compare this with the four yellow cards incurred by their opponents.

Although Petrolul Ploiesti had a slight edge in corner kicks with 4 over CFR Cluj's 3, this didn't translate into additional goals which could indicate a limited utilization of set-pieces, or a strong defense off corners from CFR Cluj. On the contrary, CFR Cluj was caught offside 4 times in comparison to Petrolul Ploiesti’s 1, suggesting either a high defensive line from the home team or a lack of timing or coordination on the part of Cluj's attacking line.

In terms of foul play, the match was evenly matched. The home team committed 8 fouls compared to 7 from the visitors. This closely contested duel indicates that the discipline could have been a more decisive factor than initially thought, with Petrolul Ploiesti's 2 extra yellow cards possibly suggesting a declination in level-headedness, and proving costly towards the end of the game.

Ultimately, the most impactful factors in this match, based on the analyzed data, can be deemed as the timing of the goals, number of yellow cards for each team, and CFR Cluj's second-half recovery. Petrolul Ploiesti's failure to capitalize on set-pieces (as indicated by their corner kicks) also played a role in their defeat, as well as their subsequent lack of composure that led to more yellow cards.

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