Romania - Liga 1 - Sportul Studentesc vs Steaua Bucuresti

Game to be played @ 17:00 CET

Sportul Studentesc Bucuresti

After being expelled for a fight with Vasile Siman, Tiberiu Balan has a good chance to play against Steaua on Sunday. Gigi Multescu, the technical director of Sportul Studentesc, is the one who wants to settle the conflict between the two. “Today we had Tibi at training and he told me that he regrets what happened. I`ll have a talk with Mr. Siman because I need him against Steaua”, Multescu confessed. Vasile Siman said that he is not against this decision, but he’ll wait until all three of them have a talk.

Gheorghe Multescu says that he has a positive record versus Steaua. “I would like Steaua`s players to come fully confident. With Steaua i`ve won many times, I think that I have the most positive record against Steaua of all the teams from Bucharest. It also has been my ambition as a supporter of Dinamo, but now I want to win with Sportul. I am expecting a full stadium, there will be many supporters from Steaua because they are well represented in this aspect.”

The Sportul Studentesc coach doesn`t believe that the game will be affected by the absence of the players Ricardo and Bonfim. Multescu highlighted ”In my opinion, Bonfim and Ricardo are not two key-players judging from their value and the number of players that Steaua has”.

Multescu stated that midfielder Tiberiu Balan was reinstated in the squad, after he apologized to financier Vasile Siman. “We`ll see at the time of the game. I convinced the owner, things are settled. The day before yesterday Tibi has apologized and 99 per cent things are settled. It is an extra incentive for him to play against Steaua, but also foreign teams interested in him.”

The probable team: Viciu - Ciupe, Ratiu, Patriche, Maxim - Balan, Cruceru, Ghinga, Ferfelea – Postolache, Curelea; Coach: Gheorghe Multescu; Injured: Lung, Cazan, Niculescu, Popescu; Suspended: Tarnacop; Substitutes: Vreme, Beta, Chihaia, Nae, Chetan, L.Dobre, Rusu.

Steaua`s financer, Gigi Becali, declared that he is interested in Sportul`s player, Tibi Balan but that he’ll try to take him for free: “I want Balan only for free, I don`t want to negotiate with Siman because he is not an extraordinary player. To be honest, he is useful and it is possible that coming to Steaua would make him extraordinary”.

LAST GAME (Astra Ploiesti - Sportul Studentesc Bucuresti 1-0)
Has scored: 1-0 Kehinde Fatai (54)
Astra: 77. C. Grigore - 2. Matel, 4. Mihalache, 6. L. Goian, 13. Junior Morais - 8. Takayuki Seto, 78. N'Doye - 18. Stratila, 21. Fatai (17. B. Rusu '81), 11. Tigoianu (20. Al. Stan '60) - 14. Miranda (3. Oprsal '72). Coach: Tibor Selymes.
Sportul: 33. Viciu - 15. Ciupe, 5. D. Lung, 27. Ratiu, 23. Maxim - 16. Lungu (14. Tarnacop '46) - 30. Irimia, 10. Ferfelea, 19. Cruceru (25. L. Dobre '62), 22. Postolache (31. Chetan '74) - 9. Curelea.Coach: Gheorghe Multescu.
Yellow card: L. Goian '47, Al. Stan '79 - Tarnacop '53, '66, Curelea '89.
Red card: Tarnacop '66.

Sportul Studentesc has played in its usual style at Ploiesti, which means that it has dominated without any big occasions, it has scored at artistic impression, but the points were taken by the opponents. This kind of game was made by Sportul this year, the weakest point of the team being its youthness. Through this loss,” the students” are practically being relegated because they have no chance to recover 16 points during the 8 remaining stages. Sportul will have to fulfill at least the minimum 25 points required. Therefore, in tomorrow`s game with Steaua they will play for victory. Sportul is playing better on home field, this being confirmed in the Timisoara`s game where they lost in overtime. During the first part of the championship, Sportul lost 2-4 in Ghencea and will try to stop Steaua from the battle of the championship. Therefore, Sportul has an additional reason to play with more determination, after it has been eliminated in the Eighth-finals of the Romanian Cup after penalty shootouts.

Steaua Bucuresti

Midfielder Banel Nicolita declared that him and his teammates won’t give up in the battle for the title. “As long as there is still a slight chance, we are still fighting for the championship. We wish to win the title even if there are nine points to catch up, but we`re hoping. The victory against Otelul was important for us, for our moral, against the leader. We demonstrated that we are a good team, but we didn`t have much luck. If we could have won another five or six points lately, the table would have been different“. Nicolita added that he is only thinking about victory in the game with Sportul. “It is important that we win with Sportul, we can`t even afford a draw. Sportul has always been a nice team that plays its chance. Now they don`t have any chance to escape from relegation, but they will play”.

The escapade of the two Brazilians during the night after Steaua- Otelul, 1-0, has been fatal to Bonfim and Ricardo. This morning the board has decided to send them to the second team on unlimited term and it is unlikely that they could return to the preparations of the first team until the end of the season. Bonfim and Ricardo wanted to apologize this morning, but they were not even listened to. Even if there were voices that pleaded for a last advertisement, Sorin Cirtu’s decision was decisive “For me, it seems incredible to have such an attitude when you play at Steaua. I, for example, cannot lead such irresponsible football players.” Wednesday night, Ricardo and Bonfim ran from training camp and returned only in the morning. For sure, the two will leave Steaua next summer. Bonfim was brought this summer by Victor Piturca from FC Timisoara, in exchange for 300.000 euros and Ricardo was part of Unirea`s team, together with Brandan, Marinescu, Onofras, Bilasco, Apostol si Galamaz. In compensation for these, Becali cancelled Bucsaru’s debt of 4 milion dollars that he owned Steaua’s sponsor.

Steaua is one step away from the big deal: selling the best central defender of the game, Florin Gardos. In the battle for his signature, Bayern and Liverpool are fighting for him, and if the transfer will take place, the 22 years old defender may become the first Romanian player that will wear the shirt of one of the best two teams of Europe.

LAST GAME (Steaua Bucuresti - Otelul Galati 1-0)
Scored: 1-0 Maicon Oliveira (25)
Steaua: 12. Tatarusanu - 29. Bonfim, 6. Gardos, 23. Geraldo, 14. Latovlevici - 16. Nicolita, 26. Bicfalvi, 5. Brandan. 27. Marinescu (21. Ricardo '81) - 20. Dica (10. Tanase '72), 99. Maicon (11. Onofras '60). Coach: Sorin Cartu.
Otelul: 12. Grahovaci - 3. Rapa, 30. Perendija, 18. Sg. Costin, 23. Salageanu - 26. Neagu (37. Viglianti '52), 29. Giurgiu - 7. Iorga, 15. Ibeh (19. Punosevaci '76), 14. S. Ilie (8. Antal '59) - 27. Pena. Coach : Dorinel Munteanu.
Yellow card: Tatarusanu '66, Nicolita '80 - Rapa '36, S. Ilie '57, Viglianti '86

Steaua has managed to win an important match against Otelul, 1-0, which made the latter lose the first place of the Romanian League. If they hadn`t lost at Ploiesti, Steaua could still have hoped for the title, but in this case, they only have theoretical chances. In the last 8 remaining stages there are lot of things that could happen, so Cirtu`s players have to fight all the way and should believe that they could still catch in extremis place 1-2. Theoretically, tomorrow they have an easy game in Regie and if they win, they could still hope. Anyway, the victory is compulsory for Steaua to consolidate at least its place for Europa League.

I wouldn't jump and bet on Steaua here. Sportul tends to make the life of the top teams a rough one. No bet for me.