Back to back games against Astra Giurgiu

Finished 2nd to Steaua București in the Romanian top flight, last season. 3rd in the league, this season, after 9 games.

They beat Lyon 2-2 on away goals to qualify for our group. Not the Lyon side most of us will remember. European record prior to that and since is nothing to write home about (few wins against weak opposition, losses to Maccabi Haifa, Dinamo Zagreb and Red Bull Salzburg).

Two wins should be enough to see us qualify for the knockouts.

Line-ups so far:

Away v Dinamo (5-1)

Lung
Pliatsikas Oroș Ben Youssef Júnior Morais
Yahaya Laban
Enache Budescu (C) Amorim
Fatai​

Subs:

Chițu (RM) on for Enache
Bukari (ST) on for Fatai
Florescu (CDM) on for Yahaya

Goal scorer: Chițu

***

Home v Red Bull Salzburg (1-2)

Lung
Pliatsikas Oroș Ben Youssef Júnior Morais
Seto Laban
Enache Budescu (C) Amorim
Bukari​

Subs:

Florescu (CDM) on for Laban

Goal scorer: Seto

 

I think they'll go Hammer and tongs at their pitch. I would pray for counter attacking on the away leg.

 

Weird Club, they've had 11 managers within the last 3 years

Sumudica left 31 October 2011
Selymes left 11 December 2011
Coincecao left 28 March 2012
Rednic left 30 May 2012
Stelea left 10 August 2012
Multescu left 28 October 2012
Sinescu left 6 April 2013
Barbu left 13 April 2013
Isaila left 22 March 2014
Marin left 7 May 2014

Their new manager has been in charge since the summer.

Dont know many of them were caretakers etc but still looks a shambles.

 

Don't know much about them at all but these are the 2 games that will define our group in my opinion. A win at home is an absolute must and hoping we can go over there and get another win too, which would put us in an excellent position. I can certainly see them causing us problems though, no easy games in this group.

 

Id take 4 points

 

I want 6 points here. We are better than them, it's not a gimme of course but we should be aiming for maximum points. I want to see a bit of ruthlessness to our play.

 

A win at home is a must and I think were through if we ein both games. 10 points after 4 games eould be great.

 

should expect 6 points. wondering if the lung in goals is a smoker or a healthy lung.

 

Wouldn't underestimate them, would be content with 4 points

 

6pts and we are on the road baby.

 

They play in a tougher League than the rest of us so you wonder why they have under performed so far. Could just be inexperience in Europe.

Enache is their most "capped" European player with 12 appearances compared to Lustig from us who has played in 56 European games, Brown 54 and others like Ambrose, Forrest, Commons, Stokes, Izaguirre, Kayal, Matthews, Mulgrew, Boerrigter who've all played 25+

Even Gordon, Van Dijk, Johansen, Berget, Wakaso, Tonev and Scepovic have played in more European games than their most experienced player in Europe.

 

I think some might be underestimating them a bit. I hope Deila and the players don't do the same.

If we get 6 points from the next 2 games we're basically through.

Having said that, I'd take 4 points if I was offered right now. That would take us to 8 points. We should be able to get at least 1 point from the last 2 games (making it 9) and I believe that would see us through.

 

I wouldn't say the standard of football in Romania's higher than in Austria. Austria Wien, Rapid Wien & Red Bull Salzburg are consistently good European sides.

They're also playing against the champions of Austria, Croatia and Scotland as runners-up to Steaua București.

 

If we can get 6 points here I'd be shocked if we didn't qualify.

 

No one's underestimating them. We need to beat sides like this if we've any ambition of playing in Europe, let alone at the top level. They're undoubtedly the weakest of the other three sides - on paper at least.

 

From what i've read they're basically the Romanian Gretna, albeit far better than Gretna ever were.

We should be taking 6 points off them. Should...

 

The Romanian League has picked up the 12th most coefficient points in Europe in the last 2 seasons and is currently 13th this season. Which is better than the Austrian, Croatian and Scottish Leagues.

Steaua Bucharest, Dinamo Bucharest, Rapid Bucharest, Cluj, Petrolul Ploiesti, Astra, Otelul Galati and even Unirea before they went bust have all done fairly well in Europe.

Steaua are actually the top scorers in the Europa League from the first 2 games.

 

Coefficient points are meaningless when the same number of points are given at two very different levels. Celtic have been playing Champions League football fairly consistently over that period.

How have the Romanian runners-up done in comparison to the champions of Austria, Croatia and Scotland over the years?

It's maybe a more evenly balanced league but I'd sooner draw Astra Giurgiu than Rapid Wien.

 

I don't know if what I've said above makes sense but there's a point in there somewhere. :smiley-laughing002: