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Can CFR Cluj beat Steaua and get back in the title race?
In a weekend packed with derbies all over Europe, Liga 1 offers Steaua – CFR Cluj, the battle of the main title contenders and of the only two Romanian clubs that have made it in to the group stage of European competitions.
With four points after two rounds, Steaua has made a bright start in Europa League, even though luck was on the team’s side both in Stuttgart and, more recently, at home against a stubborn and well organized FC Copenhagen. Coach Laurentiu Reghecampf deserves credit though for ignoring the the owner’s call for full focus on the title challenge (and that’s always a suicidal approach…) and so far has done a great job in both competitions, as we are also talking of the current Liga 1 leaders.
CFR on the other hand has three valuable points in the Champions League, after the games versus Sporting Braga and Manchester United, and waits for the double versus Galatasaray that will shape the club’s future in Europe. The problem in Liga 1 is that the reigning champions have lost a lot of players and a lot of points already and a defeat on Sunday night would leave them 12 points off the top spot after only 11 rounds. A huge difference considering the poor opposition Steaua encountered so far in the league! As well as the mediocre displays from the likes of Vaslui, Dinamo and Rapid, Teams that in theory should prevent an early break-away from such a serious title contender.
It will be an interesting encounter between a team that likes to attack in numbers and put a lot of pressure in the opposition’s half and one that has struggles to win midfield battles in Liga 1 so far and dictate play, but is a master of counter-attacking football. A tactics that has suffered a blow as the very quick Moudou Sougou has just been added to a long list of casualties, while Steaua can not only be proud with the excellent fitness levels, but also with a total lack of injured players and a strong competition for a starting place all over the pitch.
The Bucharest side seems to have the edge in what looks like a final for CFR, being fitter, hungrier and more determined than the Cluj side, so we should be in for a rare piece of entertainment, also considering the tens of thousand fans that will be once again behind Reghecampf’s men in the National Arena.
Gigi Becali issues public apologies to Steaua’s fans
- Dayro Moreno (24) has finally been granted the right to play for Once Caldas, after the Colombian side paid the 500.000 EUR transfer fee and received the clearance to use for the first time this season the attacking midfielder, who scored 9 goals in his 44 matches played for the Bucharest side in the Romanian first division.
- Steaua’s boss Gigi Becali met with the club’s supporters last night and agreed to satisfy all their demands, in order to end a long conflict that seriously affected the club’s image and the team’s results. Among others, Becali had to apologize to all the club’s former great players he has insulted over the years, and that was quite a long list, which included the likes of Gheorghe Hagi, Laszlo Boloni, Gavril Pele Balint, Adrian Ilie. Read more…
Poli Iasi lands Steaua’s rising stars
- Andrei Ionescu (21) moves to Politehnica Iasi, on loan, until the end of the season. The talented attacking midfielder had found little space at Steaua, where he arrived in 2008 with the wonderkid label, but was given little space to prove himself among the seniors, collecting only 16 appearances in the Liga I until now. At Iasi, he’ll work under the guidance of Petre Grigoras and will join former team-mate Mihai Onicas (20), who’s also on loan, until the summer.
