Steaua 2 - 3 Empii (392842150)

32629 punters turned up at Stadionul "Marius Lacatus", and despite threatening clouds on the horizon, no rain came. Morten Nagel was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Arne Skovhus and Octavien Plantard. People from all over Argeş had joined up for the derby. Steaua decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players had been chosen: Ventriglia - Calderer, Aubert, Blaha - Mery, Spurio, Daniel, Braia, Trujillo - Friedrich, Petrescu.

Empii started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. Lineup: Dogaru - Stöpel, Kluziak, Bergese - Pelikán, Ursache, Nache, Himmer, Driest - Alic, Pascu.

Steaua clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. The visiting M. Pelikán was booed thoroughly by the home crowd 6 minutes into the game, after he broke through the middle and scored, resulting in the visitors taking the lead. 0 - 1 was the score. Steaua equalised after 17 minutes after a brilliantly placed penalty by S. Petrescu. Making his way up the middle 27 minutes into the match, C. Spurio almost managed to squeeze a goal past the visitors' keeper, but the alert I. Dogaru blocked it to keep the score level. P. Aubert of Steaua received a yellow card after 36 minutes for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Down the middle came M. Himmer, making a fantastic play that nearly had Empii take the lead after 37 minutes, but A. Ventriglia preserved the tie. The teams went for the halftime break at 1 - 1. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Steaua, with 51 percent of the ball.

Steaua had a good opportunity to attack on the wing, but remembered their instructions to go for middle attacks. Steaua took the lead 63 minutes into the game by 2 - 1, as C. Spurio elegantly received a long range pass through the middle, finishing off with a half-volley shot just below the bar. 65 minutes into the game Empii's L. Nache found a gap in the home side's central defence and scored with a fabulous shot, making it 2 - 2. It was obvious that team Steaua had instructions to attack in the middle instead of on the wings. The home crowd was not impressed by the fancy moves of Empii's M. Pelikán after 75 minutes. He converted a pass from the left for a goal, resulting in the visitors taking the 2 - 3 lead. Some fine passing in the middle of the pitch, carving open the away defence, should have led to a goal for Steaua, but T. Braia's shot went over the bar. Steaua claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 52 percent.

Most important Steaua player was P. Blaha. R. Calderer turned in a dismal performance, however. The most dominating Empii player was without a doubt A. Alic. L. Driest was a disappointment, however. The match ends 2 - 3.