Sports weekend

A preview of the sports action this weekend.

Florin Orban, 05.05.2023, 13:45

Superbet Chess Classic Romania, the biggest annual chess tournament to
be hosted by Bucharest, is getting under way this weekend. The competition
brings together ten of the world’s best chess players according to the
International Chess Federation ranking, including the new world champion Ding
Liren of China and Romania’s Richard Rapport and Bogdan Deac. The tournament
hosted by Bucharest is the first leg in the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, a series of
international competitions.

Moving on to handball next. Two Romanian sides are playing this weekend
in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Rapid Bucharest are
facing the Norwegian side Vipers Kristiansand, the winner of last year’s
edition of the League, away on Saturday. Last Sunday in Bucharest, Vipers
defeated Rapid 31-25. On Sunday, CSM Bucharest are playing at home at Sala Polivalentă
in Bucharest against the Danish side Team Esbjerg. CSM, who are the Romanian vice-champions,
have to win by at least 5 goals, as they lost away 32-28. The other two
quarterfinals will see Győr playing Odense and Metz playing Ferencváros, with Győr
and Metz considered the favourites as they won the first leg.

Let’s end this preview with football. The matches counting towards the 7th
leg of the Romanian Football Superleague are held this weekend. The so-called
play-out group, containing teams struggling not to get demoted, sees Voluntari play
Mioveni and Chindia Târgovişte play Petrolul Ploieşti, on Friday; on Saturday, Universitatea
Cluj will face Botoşani; and on Monday Hermannstadt will play FC U Craiova and
FC Argeş wil play UTA Arad.In the play-off group, Farul Constanţa are playing Rapid Bucharest at
home on Saturday; CFR Cluj are facing Universitatea Craiova on Sunday; and FCSB
are playing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe at home on Monday. Farul top the ranking with
43 points followed by FCSB, with 40. (CM)