CFR Cluj to face Timişoara Cupa României finals

CFR Cluj booked a date in the finals of the Cupa României (Romanian Cup) with a 2-0 victory over Vaslui. The defending Liga 1 champions will now face FC Timişoara who overwhelmed Dinamo Bucureşti 4-1 in their half of the semi-finals yesterday.

Ten minutes into the match, Vaslui was caught forward with Diego Ruiz being played in alone and finishing the far left corner. Following the goal Vaslui had reason to complain as they were controversially denied at least two penalties by the referee and without a way through, Cluj added an insurance goal deep into added time. Racing down the right flank Bogdan Mara turned back from the bye-line and sent the ball back to Alvaro Pereira who pounded the ball in from the edge of the area to bring the match to a 2-0 conclusion.

FC Timişoara advances in the Cupa României with win over Dinamo Bucureşti

Gabi Balint's FC Timişoara defeated Dinamo Bucureşti 4-1 in the semi-finals of the Cupa României (Romanian Cup).

Lukáš Magera gave Timişoara the 1-0 lead five minutes for the half hour mark as he pounced on Gigel Bucur's effort that pounded off the post and sent the ball in immediately. Timişoara doubled its lead on the hour as Iasmin Latovlevici took advantage of the poor clearance from Dinamo and after moving to the left side of the area, sent a low cross for Abiodun Agunbiade who promptly drove the ball to the left corner of the net from twelve metres. The Roş-albii brought the match within one as Adrian Cristea surged into the six-yard box box to head-in Osvaldo Miranda long cross from the left with eighteen minutes remaining. However only eight minutes later Timişoara restored its two goal margin as Winston Parks received a long diagonal cross on the edge of the Dinamo area before working down the bye-line and centering the ball for Gigel Bucur who volleyed the ball in from twelve metres. With four minutes remaining in the match Florin Maxim free-kick into the box was nodded in by Daré Nibombé to bring the match to its final 4-1 score.

Cupa României semi-finals set

Cupa României moves the semi-finals Dinamo Bucureşti, Timişoara, CFR Cluj and Vaslui and advancing.

Dinamo Bucureşti defeated Rapid Bucureşti 4-2 in an exciting match. Costin Lazăr gave Rapid the one goal lead ten minutes into the match however an own-goal by Dănuț Perjă leveled it eight minutes later. Gabriel Boştină gave Dinamo the lead eight minutes before the half volleying in a loose ball from the top of the box following a corner. Six minutes past the hour Marius Niculae doubled Dinamo's lead as he headed Adrian Scarlatache's cross in. With ten minutes left the Romanian international Niculae added his second of the night as he chipped the ball over the 'keeper before heading in.



João Paulo Andrade added a consolation goal for Rapid in the second minute of added time but the match as decided with Dinamo winning 4-2.

Timişoara defeated Gloria Bistriţa 2-0 with both goals coming in the last minutes of the match. Just as regulation time ended striker Lukáš Magera raced into the box to fire a shot through goalkeeper Călin Albuţ's net and into the net. Two minutes into added time Alex Curtean drove the insurance goal in.

Defending champions CFR Cluj edged Pandurii Târgu Jiu 1-0. In a highly controversial decision Alexandru Piţurcă was adjudged a penalty off a corner, resulting in the matches lone goal as Sixto Peralta converted from the spot with two minutes left in the half.

The big upset of quarter-finals was Vaslui's 2-0 defeat Unirea Urziceni. Wesley gave the Vaslui the lead thirty two minutes into the match as he volleyed in Nemanja Milisavljević's cross from eleven metres. Bulgarian Stanislav Genchev doubled the margin with eleven minutes remaining as he drove the ball in from thirty-five metres.

The semi-finals will now pair CFR Cluj versus Vaslui and Dinamo Bucureşti versus Timişoara