Sports weekend
The latest from football
Florin Orban, 28.07.2023, 13:45
The Romanian football teams competing in the first
leg as part of the Conference League’s second preliminary round have had an above-par performance. This past Wednesday in Sofia, FCSB grabbed a 1-nil win
against ŢSKA 1948. Then on
Thursday, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe grabbed a 2-nil win against one of Bulgaria’s
most popular teams and a former European Champions Cup semi-finalist, in the 20th
century, ŢSKA Sofia. Scoring for Sepsi were Nicolae Păun in minute 68 and Roland
Varga on 81 minutes. In
Ovidiu, in the south-east, Romanian title holders, Farul Constanta, succeeded a
hard-fought, 3-2 win against Armenian champions Urartu. Guest team’s Artyom Maksimenko drew first blood
on 32 minutes. In minute 36 Farul levelled the score through Tudor Baluta’s
goal. In minute 38 Urartu’s Ukrainian footballer Ivan Zotko yet again put his
team into the lead. However, in the first half’s added time Farul’s Adrian Mazilu
levelled the score for the second time around. In the last seconds of the match
Farul footballer Ionut Larie’s powerful shot from outside the box sealed the
fate of the game. The Conference League’s fourth team, CFR Cluj, played a home game against Turkish
team Adana Demirspor. The match ended 1-all. CFR’s Spanish footballer Jefte
Betancor scored on 6 minutes, while on 77 minutes, Adana Demirspor’s French
footballer Benjamin Stambouli levelled the score. The return legs are scheduled next
Thursday.
Matches counting towards Romanian football Super League’s third round are
scheduled at the weekend. On Friday, FC U Craiova 1948 are pitted against Universitatea Cluj, while Rapid Bucharest
play FC Botoşani. On Saturday, Sibiu-based FC Hermannstadt play a home game
against UTA Arad, while FCSB play an away match against Otelul Galaţi. In Ovidiu
on Sunday, Farul Constanţa play Poli Iasi. Also on Sunday, the third round’s
derby is scheduled in Cluj, pitting CFR Cluj against Universitatea Craiova. On
Monday, Petrolul Ploiesti face FC Voluntari, while Dinamo Bucharest play Sepsi
Sfantu Gheorghe. With six points each, Farul, CFR and FCSB are at the top of
the as-it-stands table.
