Bistrița women secured a narrow 34:30 victory over Râmnicu-Vâlcea in the National League on Wednesday afternoon. The home side held their nerve in a contest where every goal mattered, closing out the match despite a spirited response from the visitors. The result keeps Bistrița firmly in third place with six points from three games, while Râmnicu-Vâlcea remain sixth on four points.
By then, you could see how this one was going. Bistrița started brighter, taking early control and never really letting the visitors into the game. To be fair, Râmnicu-Vâlcea didn't roll over — they chased the game for most of the afternoon, but couldn't quite find that extra gear. The home side tightened things up when it counted, and that's what separated them.
We'd backed the home side to win, with 76 per cent confidence. The prediction came good. Bistrița's recent form had been solid, with five consecutive victories before this one, including a comfortable win over HSG Bielefeld-Lippe. Râmnicu-Vâlcea had their own good run, but that narrow defeat to CSM București women earlier in the month had shown they could be vulnerable against stronger opposition.
What struck me was how Bistrița managed their lead. They didn't blow the game open early, which would have made things easy. Instead, they kept Râmnicu-Vâlcea honest, responding to every push with goals of their own. The visitors never stopped throwing bodies in the way, but the home defence held every card. By the final whistle, the margin looked tighter than the scoreline suggested.
The statistics tell you nothing about how this felt. Bistrița scored four more goals, but it wasn't a blowout. Râmnicu-Vâlcea had chances — they always do when they chase a game — but couldn't convert them when it mattered. The away end never stopped, but their team ran out of legs by the end.
For Bistrița, this extends their winning run and puts them in a strong position in the table. Three wins from three is no small feat at this level. Râmnicu-Vâlcea will look at the one-point gap and know they need the points badly. They have a tough run coming, and this result makes it harder.
