FCSB emerged victorious on their home turf in the big derby against Universitatea Craiova, with a score of 2-0 in the current round of the Superliga play-offs, paving the way towards another championship trophy for Romania.
The goals were scored by Coman and Vlădoiu, the latter with an own goal, in the 29th and 32nd minutes.
The match at a packed National Arena, with an electrifying atmosphere and 30,000 people seemingly desperate for a new title after a very long 9-year wait, started beautifully, pleasing to the eye, with action from one goal to the other. Craiova seemed like a well-organized team, with confidence and boldness, even though they were missing three key players, Bancu, Screciu, and especially Mitriță.
The best moments for FCSB came right after the half-hour mark. Florinel Coman scored for 1-0 after a cunning free-kick, struck with great force, taking advantage, admittedly, of the very poor positioning of Laurențiu Popescu.
Three minutes later, from a corner on the left flank, also taken by Coman, Ștefan Vlădoiu threw himself in desperation, but unfortunately for him, he decisively deflected the ball into his own net, marking a fateful 2-0.
FCSB even had the chance to further extend their lead on the scoreboard, through Miculescu, for example, but everything ended quietly with a double advantage for the red and blues at halftime, who almost had one hand on the Liga 1 trophy already.
The second half was one of calm and self-control, FCSB revved up their engines as needed and when needed, didn't push too hard, but certainly was the more mature team, knowing how and when to close the gaps.
Craiova did dominate the end of the game, at least the last 10 minutes of play, but ultimately, with the help of an extremely attentive Tarnovanu, who also securely closed his goal.
FCSB now climbs to 41 points, with a 10-point lead over CFR Cluj and Craiova, and the next match is away at Cluj, the following Sunday, the chances for a new championship title probably being over 90 percent at this moment.
Match summary:
END OF MATCH, FCSB wins the game against Craiova, 2-0!
Min.91: Dawa replaces Coman for FCSB.
Min.90: 5 minutes of added time!
Min.87: Olaru leaves the field, slightly injured, Nana Antwi will come in.
Min.82: Yellow card for Bancu, who fouls Olaru harshly, dangerous free-kick for FCSB.
Min.78: Last changes for Craiova, Bancu and Koljici come in, Houri and Căpățână exit.
Min.77: Very powerful shot by Cîmpanu from the corner of the box, Târnovanu barely saves!
Min.73: Two changes for FCSB, Radslavescu and Alhassan come in, Popescu and Miculescu exit.
Min.72: Great chance for Craiova, Chiricheș makes a mistake, Crețu volleys and Radunovici deflects cleverly into a corner.
Min.70: Strong low cross from the edge of the small box by Danciu, nothing changes on the scoreboard.
Min.68: Substitution for Craiova, Markovici comes in for Blesa.
Min.66: Tavi Popescu stays down on the sidelines and seems like he will exit due to injury.
Min.62: Târnovanu catches a long-range shot from Cîmpanu.
Min.60: Another change for the Oltenians, Danciu replaces Baiaram.
Min.55: An enthusiastic crowd, a stadium increasingly packed, FCSB shows and confirms their clear superiority this season. At the same time, Craiova shows how dependent they are on Mitriță.
Min.50: Houri receives a yellow card for protests.
Min.49: Coman's shot is quite weak, easily caught by Popescu, but it's FCSB's first opportunity.
The second half begins!
Min.46: Cîmpanu comes in for Ivan, substitution for Craiova.
Half-time, 2-0 for FCSB, the league leader!
Min.45: Tavi Popescu shoots from 10-12 meters, directly at Popescu's feet, 0 effectiveness!!
Min.43: Ngezana blocks a very dangerous Oltenian play and receives a standing ovation.
Min.35: Craiova seems dazed by this amazing pressure, FCSB is clearly the more mature, self-assured team.
Min.32: GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL FCSB!!! 2-0, goal after an own goal by Vlădoiu, who heads the ball into his own net from a Coman corner, FCSB clearly dominates!!
Min.29: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL FCSB!!! 1-0, Florinel Coman scores splendidly from a free-kick, however, a big mistake by Laurențiu Popescu, who positioned himself poorly.
Min.28: Clear foul by Căpățână, who receives a yellow card, dangerous free-kick for the red and blues.
Min.26: Almost all corners have created panic in the Oltenian goal! Chiricheș now heads slightly wide from close range...
Min.25: What an attempt by Coman, a shot from the edge of the box just under the crossbar, it's a corner!!
Min.24: Blesa, making his debut as a starter today, the Spaniard with Kosovar origins, also receives a yellow card.
Min.20: Huge chance for FCSB!!! Shot from 5 meters over Popescu, lob attempt and pass for Miculescu, who fails to convert into the net, incredible...
Min.17: Badelj also receives a yellow card, for a late tackle on Tavi Popescu.
Min.15: Tempers have calmed a bit, but the teams are searching for each other, the game is enjoyable, pleasing to the eye.
Min.9: The ball hits Lixandru in the small box, after an interesting deflection by Șut from the small box, at the end of a corner, a good opportunity for FCSB!
Min.8: Interesting shot from the edge of the box by Șut, the ball hits the crossbar and the goalkeeper Popescu. Penalty is claimed, but Hațegan refuses to review the situation.
Min.6: First shot on goal for Craiova, Alex Crețu's long-range shot, Târnovanu saves in two attempts. In the immediate following play, Miculescu also receives a yellow card, this time for a foolish reason.
Min.5: Lixandru gets the first yellow card of the evening, loses sight of Houri and commits a cynical foul.
The match begins!
20.28: The two teams enter the field, the atmosphere is excellent, with about 30,000 people at the National Arena.
Starting line-ups:
FCSB: Târnovanu - Crețu, Ngezana, Chiricheș, Radunovic - Lixandru, Șut, Olaru - Oct. Popescu, Miculescu, Fl. Coman. Substitutes: Udrea, Vlad, Dawa, Haruț, Pandele, Nana Antwi, Toma, Alhassan, Radaslescu, Popa. Coach: Elias Charalambous.
CSU Craiova: Popescu - Vlădoiu, Maldonado, Badelj, Căpățină - Crețu, Mekvabishvili, Houri - Baiaram, Blesa, Ivan. Substitutes: Lazar, Soiri, Da Silva, Screciu, Bancu, Mateiu, Kozulj, Danciu, Bana, Cîmpanu, Koljic. Coach: Ivaylo Petev.
Referee: Ovidiu Hațegan.
This match could propel FCSB as an increasingly clear favorite for the title, one that the red and blue team has been waiting for 9 years, since 2015. After two consecutive victories in the play-offs, 2-1 against Sepsi and 1-0 against Farul, FCSB can now aim for a triple win and go 10 points ahead of their followers, CFR Cluj and even today's Craiova.
FCSB currently has 38 points, while Cluj and Craiova have accumulated 31 points each. In the two matches from the regular season, FCSB won decisively each time, with the same score, 3-0.
The Oltenian team comes to Bucharest tired and frustrated after being eliminated from the Cup by Oțelul Galați, after extra time, but especially without Alex Mitriță, the star from Rotaru's squad.
On December 3, 2023, against Oțelul, with a score of 0-2, was the last defeat suffered by the red and blues at home in the championship. Six wins and a draw followed.
Since 2014, the two teams have met 34 times in the main domestic competition, with the red and blues winning 23 times, the Oltenians 6 times, and 5 matches ending in a draw.
The match will be televised on DigiSport, OrangeSport, and PrimaSport.