Sports Weekend
The latest in football
Florin Orban, 13.12.2024, 13:45
The Bucharest-based football team FCSB drew 0-0 in their Europa League away game played on Thursday night against the German side Hoffenheim. The Romanian champions, now in the main phase of the competition, have 11 points after 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat. They are in 10th place, with the stated goal of finishing among the top 8 teams at the end of this stage and going straight to the round of 16.
The atmosphere at the stadium in the small town of Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim plays its home games, was dominated by the Romanian fans. Romania’s champions played fast-paced European football, very different from its performances in the domestic championship. The Bundesliga team dominated, but did not manage to score. FCSB’s defence was good, with dangerous counterattacks and several great opportunities to score missed. The final result was fair and pleased the Romania players.
There is now a break in European competitions, after which FCSB will play the last two matches of the main stage in Europa League. On January 23, they will take on the Azerbaijani team Qarabag, away from home, and then, on the 30th, they will face Manchester United in Bucharest.
The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, and the teams ranked between 9 and 24 will have to go through play-off matches. Teams that finish between 25 and 36, as well as those that lose the play-off, will be eliminated from the competition.
This weekend, matches are scheduled counting for the Romanian Football Super League, round number 20. On Friday, two games: Botoşani vs Hermannstadt and Dinamo Bucharest vs Poli Iaşi. On Saturday, Oţelul hosts the Arad team UTA in Galaţi, while in Craiova, Universitatea faces Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. The evening ends with the game in Cluj, pitting Universitatea against Petrolul Ploieşti. On Sunday, in Clinceni, Unirea Slobozia play CFR Cluj, while in Ovidiu, Farul Constanţa meet FCSB. The last match in this round, Rapid Bucharest vs Gloria Buzău, is scheduled for Monday. Universitatea Cluj and FCSB lead the standings, tied on points. (AMP)
