RRI Sports Club
In Tbilisi, Romania’s national football team drew 1-1 in a friendly match against Georgia
Florin Orban, 03.06.2026, 13:45
Romania’s national football team faced Georgia’s national team on Tuesday in a friendly match away from home. The match took place at the “Mikheil Meskhi” Stadium in Tbilisi and ended with a 1-1 score. The match marked the start of coach Gheorghe Hagi’s second term at the helm of the Romanian national team, a quarter of a century after his first stint as head coach.
The first half was marked by an evenly matched contest, with both teams focusing on their defensive organization, which is why clear scoring chances were few and far between, and the score remained 0-0 at halftime. The action picked up immediately after the restart. In the 46th minute, the hosts opened the scoring through forward Giorgi Kvilitaia, who capitalized on a ball fumbled by Romanian goalkeeper Marian Aioani and found the back of the net. Romania’s response was not long in coming. The national team led by Hagi went on the attack and managed to equalize in the 55th minute, thanks to an excellent finish by Louis Munteanu, who scored with a well-placed header. Despite the intense physical pace of the final half-hour and both sides’ attempts to secure the win, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
For the national team’s coaching staff, the match served as a good test. Both sides demonstrated solid tactical organization, and the game provided a perfect platform for experimentation and for integrating eligible young players. Hagi brought four debutants onto the field: Andrei Borza, Matei Ilie, David Matei, and goalkeeper Otto Hindrich. Forward Florinel Coman, who currently plays in Qatar, also returned to the squad, though he did not shine in Tbilisi. The only player who somewhat stood out was Radu Drăguşin, the defender for English club Tottenham, who stood firm against the Georgians’ attempts to create dangerous scoring opportunities.
On Saturday, in Bucharest, the Romanian national team will play another friendly match against Wales. On Tuesday, the British team drew 1-1 in their home match against Ghana, a team that has qualified for the World Cup in North America. (MI)
