Romania rue missed penalty in draw with Kazakhstan
Friday, June 3, 2011
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Romania 0-0 Kazakhstan
Denis Alibec's second-half penalty miss proved crucial as Romania and Kazakhstan played out a goalless draw in Group 9.
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![Romania and Kazakhstan began qualifying with a goalless draw Romania and Kazakhstan began qualifying with a goalless draw](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0254-0d7d064a21b5-bf316f670f38-1000/format/wide1/the_uefa_european_under-21_championship_trophy_on_display_ahead_of_the_2013_qualifying_draw_in_nyon.jpeg?imwidth=158)
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Romania's Denis Alibec missed a second-half penalty which meant that his side shared the spoils with Kazakhstan in their opening 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group 9 qualifier.
The hosts dominated proceedings from start to finish but were unable to find a way past a resilient Kazakhstan defence. Neither team managed to fashion any notable opportunities in a poor first half but the game sprung into life after the break.
After Cosmin Matei had been brought down inside the penalty area under a challenge from Kazakhstan goalkeeper Samat Otarbayev, Alibec missed his spot kick. Romania continued to control the game but failed to score that elusive winning goal with both sides settling for a goalless draw.