Romania - Liga 1 - Pandurii Tg Jiu vs Rapid Bucuresti

Pandurii Targu-Jiu

Pandurii will have almost all team available. "I am happy that I have almost all the team available, it is the first time in a long time when I cand say that I don't have a suspended or injured player, besides long term Cardoso and Chiriches. It is the first time when I have 23 players plus the goalkeepers available."said coach Grigoras.

Probable team: Mingote - Pleasca, O.Viera, I.C.Rada, Grecu - Bacila, Nistor, Pintilii, Vranjes - Stromajer, Lemnaru; Coach: Petre Grigoras; Injured: Cardoso, Chiriches; Suspended: -; Substitutes: Laar, Voiculet, Brata , Apostu, Avramescu, Popete, G.Matei

LAST GAME(Pandurii Targu-Jiu - Steaua Bucuresti 1-1)
Scored: 1-0 Jaka Stromajer (43), 1-1 Cristian Tanase (66)
Pandurii: 80. Mingote - 25. Pleasca (8. Popete '86), 3. Viera, 21. Chiriches (10. Hidisan '83), 29. Grecu - 7. Bacila, 20. Vranjes, 5. Pintilii, 16. Nistor - 27. Lemnaru, 18. Stromajer (14. Voiculet '72). Coach: Petre Grigoras.
Steaua: 12. Tatarusanu - 14. Latovlevici, 18. Martinovici, 23. Geraldo, 29. Bonfim (17. Bilasco '55) - 10. Tanase, 6. Gardos, 8. Radut, 27. Marinescu (7. Szekely '46), 16. Nicolita - 99. Maicon (11. Onofras '67). Coach: Sorin Cartu.
Yellow cards: Pintilii '81 - Bonfim '27, Maicon '29

As expected, Pandurii got a draw with Steaua, thursday night. In this game, Pandurii dominated, having more goal chances. The score could have been 3-0 by the end of first half. In the end, one point is anyway a positive thing. Even if they play with Rapid, it is though to believe that Pandurii will still feel pressure on their shoulders, because they have 7 points in front of Craiova and the possibility to get more points from the next games, meeting teams that don't have to play for anymore.

Rapid Bucuresti

George Copos declared that Marian Rada will be the coach of Rapid until the end of the season after firing Sumudica. The new coach declared that he wants to give the players the pleasure to play and said that he wants to qualify the team in Europa League.

Probable team: Bornescu - Rui Duarte, Marcos Antonio, Glauber, Bozovic - Roman, Olberdam, C.Lazar, Cesinha - Pancu, Herea; Coach: Marian Rada; Injured: Sburlea, Cassio; Suspended: -; Will miss the game: Spadacio (left to Brasil); Substitutes: Coman, St.Grigorie, Ezequias, Frunza, Candido, N.Grigore, Vidanov

LAST GAME (Rapid Bucuresti - Sportul Studentesc Bucuresti 0-1)
Scored: 0-1 Tiberiu Balan (21)
Rapid: 33. Bornescu - 2. Rui Duarte, 5. Vidanov, 27. Glauber, 19. Bozovici (3. Ezequias '73) - 14. Roman (77. Pancu '46), 15. Lazar, 13. Olberdam, 11. Frunza (81. Candido '66) - 10. Herea, 7. Cesinha.Coach: Marius Sumudica.
Sportul: 1. A Popescu - 29. Farmache, 5. Lung, 27. Ratiu, 26. L. Rusu (8. M. Nae '46) - 30. Irimia (4. Negru '70), 19. Cruceru (16. A. Lungu '80), 10. Ferfelea, 23. Maxim - 28. Balan - 9. Curelea. Coach: Gheorghe Multescu.
Yellow cards: Lazar '54, Olberdam '90+3 - L. Rusu '5, Balan '40

Rapid lost surprisingly the home game with Sportul Studentesc, score 0-1 and it is in danger to miss another presence in Europa League. Gaz Metan is at 2 points while CFR is comming rapidly from behind. The game with Sportul made owner Copos angry who doesn't understand how a team like Sportul, unpaind for months, and on the last place, managed to beat Rapid, who have contract of thousands of euros. So, Copos fired coach Sumidica, naming coach Marin Rada, who always comes back in Giulesti when the team needs him. For them, it is imperative to win points with Pandurii because they will meet Steaua in the next game.

It will be an interesting game because both teams didn't manage to meet their objectives yet. We don't know how Rapid could get something out of this game playing away from home at a team that is in form and will have 16000 fans to cheer them.