Game review: Dinamo Tbilisi vs Steaua Bucharest

Steaua Bucharest – one step closer to the last Champions League qualifying stage

Florin Orban, 31.07.2013, 13:01

The Romanian football side Steaua Bucharest made significant progress towards the last Champions League qualifying stage as they defeated the Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi away 2-nil in the first leg of this competition’s third preliminary round. Gabriel Iancu scored both goals, in the 64th and 80th minutes.

The game got off to an evenly balanced start, as the hosts, managed by Dushan Uhrin, a former manager of the Romanian side Poli Timisoara, put up a good defence, fighting to hold the ball and launching dangerous counterattacks. In fact, Steaua only sent one shot to goal in the first half of the game.

In the second half, the difference between the two sides in terms of the physical form of their players started to become visible, with Steaua gradually taking over control of the game. However, it was Dinamo Tbilisi that first came close to score.

In the 60th minute, Steaua’s defender Iasmin Latovlevic touched the ball with his hand in the penalty area and the referee awarded Dinamo a penalty kick. Dinamo’s Spanish player Xisco took the penalty kick, but Steaua’s goal keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu defended it. From that moment on, Steaua dominated the game and scored four minutes later when midfielder Gabriel Iancu, who did not play in the first half, defeated the Georgian goal keeper Loria with a powerful shot from outside the box. Iancu scored again in the 80th minute, following a pass from Ciprian Tanase.

The return game between Steaua and Dinamo Tbilisi is scheduled for the 6th of August on the National Arena stadium in Bucharest.