Liga 1 week 24 summary

The showcase match of the Liga 1 week 24 between FC Timişoara and Universitatea Craiova ended with a 1-0 victory for Timişoara. After Nicolò Napoli's side missed a chance to take the lead with Dorel Stoica unable to convert from the spot, the lone goal came three minutes into the new half. Gheorghe Bucur worked the ball to Arman Karamyan inside the six-yard box with the Armenian international, continuing his hot-streak after scoring twice in their 2-0 defeat of Rapid Bucureşti last week, to turn in the winning score.




First-place Dinamo Bucureşti rebounded after their disappointing loss to Universitatea Craiova with a 4-1 victory over Vaslui 4-1 as Romanian international Marius Niculae scored three times. Niculae opened the scoring six minutes before the half-hour as he converted from the spot after a penalty was adjudged on Gabriel Cânu. The complexion of the match changed two minutes before the hour Cânu received his second yellow-card and Vaslui were forced to play a man down. Twenty minutes later Dinamo extended its lead as Niculae re-directed Gabriel Torje's corner in with minutes left. Mike Temwanjera brought the match within one with nine minutes remaining. Ianis Zicu restored the two goal lead with three minutes before Niculae notched his fourth as regulation ran out from Ionel Dănciulescu's provision.



Dan Petrescu's Unirea Urziceni lost points to Dinamo in their championship race as Rapid Bucureşti held them to a 1-1 draw. João Paulo Andrade on-loan from FC Porto, gave Rapid the lead twenty-one minutes into the match as he was played back the ball from a free-kick and drove the ball through the wall for the goal. However Marius Bilaşco added the leveler for Urziceni eight minutes past the hour as he struck a perfect free-kick from just outside the area and into the back of the net. Rapid played the final twenty-two minutes with Juliano Spadacio who was shown his second yellow but Unirea Urziceni were unable to make use of the man advantage.

Farul Constanţa came from behind to draw even with Marius Lăcătuş' Steaua Bucureşti 1-1. Bogdan Stancu gave Steaua the lead eleven minutes into the new half as he struck from eight metres from Juan Toja pass. However the match was squared up as Branislav Vukomanović's low cross into the box was sent in by Chico leveled with eighteen minutes remaining.

Gloria Bistriţa shocked defending champions CFR Cluj with a goal in fourth minute of added time to bring the match to a 2-2 draw. Diogo Ramos gave Bistriţa at the twenty-third minute before Uruguayan international Alvaro Pereira leveled the match for Cluj nine minutes later from a tight angle the the Bistriţa could not handle and the ball evaded him. Two minutes after the break Cluj took the lead with Peralta's second of the day striking from ten metres after being played through. Yssouf Koné could have put the match away with four minutes later but could not convert from the spot. However in the fourth minute of added-time João Silva squared the match up at two as his close-range shot deflected off Juan Culio and into the net.

Braşov devastated Gloria Bistriţa 4-0 with captain Robert Ilyeş finding the net twice. Romeo Surdu, on-loan from Steaua, opened the scoring at the twenty-third minute before
Ezequias doubled the margin eleven minutes later. Robert Ilyeş added the third six minutes before the break and the final goal of the day at the eighty-second minute.

Argeş Piteşti played relegation candidates CS Otopeni to a 1-1 draw. Cosmin Năstăsie opened the scoring for Piteşti twenty-one minutes in with Romanian U-21 Liviu Ganea squaring the match four minutes before the hour.

Gaz Metan Mediaş problems continued as they lost to Pandurii Târgu Jiu with Milanko Rašković's goal from just outside the area only a minute into the match.

Oţelul Galaţi defeated Politehnica Iaşi 3-2 with a late goal by Poli Iaşi took the lead fifteen minutes in with Ionuţ Bâlbă finding the back of the net. Alexandru Bourceanu brought the match level nine minutes later only from the spot to be followed with Adrian Sălăgean's goal just before the half-hour. Romanian international Andrei Cristea leveled the match just before the break. However with eleven minutes left Zhivko Zhelev added the winner for Galaţi.

In upcoming action this Thurday, Steaua Bucureşti travel to face Gaz Metan Mediaş, Argeş Piteşti heads to Gloria Buzău and Universitatea Craiova welcomes Unirea Urziceni. Friday match-ups include CFR Cluj's visit of Farul Constanţa, CS Otopeni hosting Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Oţelul Galaţi's trip to Gloria Bistriţa. In other key matches Braşov travels to Rapid Bucureşti as both sides are in hot pursuit of a Europa League spot, while second-place Timişoara visits Vaslui and relegation concerned Politehnica Iaşi welcome first-place Dinamo Bucureşti.

Romania Liga 1 week 24	Match	W	D	L	GS	GA	Pts
Dinamo Bucureşti	24	15	4	5	39	18	49
Timişoara	24	15	7	2	44	24	46
Unirea Voluntari Urziceni	24	12	7	5	33	19	43
CFR Cluj	22	13	7	2	41	24	40
Universitatea Craiova	24	11	8	5	34	19	41
Rapid Bucureşti	24	11	6	7	31	24	39
Steaua Bucureşti	24	9	11	4	30	20	38
Braşov	24	9	11	4	24	16	38
Vaslui	24	11	5	8	32	27	38
Argeş Piteşti	24	9	7	8	32	30	34
Oţelul Galaţi	24	9	5	10	31	33	32
Pandurii Târgu Jiu	24	7	7	10	21	30	28
Gloria 1922 Bistriţa	24	7	5	12	21	27	26
Politehnica Iaşi	24	7	4	13	20	32	25
Farul Constanţa	24	6	5	13	19	37	23
Gaz Metan Mediaş	24	5	6	13	24	40	21
CS Otopeni	24	2	7	15	19	39	13
Gloria Buzău	23	1	3	20	11	50	6

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