Slatina beat Steaua 2:1 in the opening round of Liga II's regular season on Saturday. The visitors took all three points at the home ground of the bottom-placed side, extending their unbeaten run to six matches while Steaua's winless streak continued. By then, the pattern was already clear — this was a team that had found its rhythm before most had even kicked off.
Baraitaru opened the scoring in the forty-third minute, a simple finish that caught Steaua sleeping. Nastasie had picked up a booking just seven minutes earlier, and the hosts were already looking uncomfortable. Steaua threw bodies forward, but Slatina's defence held firm. And here's the thing — you could see them organising mid-game, shifting shape before the ball even arrived.
Dinu equalised fifty-two minutes in, catching Steaua off-guard after Rasdan's introduction on the hour. The substitution had been about fresh legs, but the equaliser came from Slatina's counter. Steaua pressed again, but their shots kept finding air — two on target against seven that missed the net entirely. To be fair, their intensity had a point, just not the precision.
Baraitaru restored the lead in the sixty-fifth minute, completing his brace and putting the game beyond doubt. Steaua threw everything forward after that, but the visitors' defence tightened. Three yellow cards in the second half told their own story — the hosts were running out of time and patience. The final whistle brought no surprise, only confirmation.
The numbers painted a familiar picture. Steaua dominated possession with 43 per cent but managed only two shots on target from eleven attacks inside the box. Slatina, with 57 per cent possession, hit five shots on target from ten attempts. More shots, fewer chances needed — that's efficiency, not luck.
Steaua sit twenty-second with two points from six games, four defeats already in the book. Slatina lead the table with sixteen points, five wins and a single draw. The gap between them is not just in the standings — it's in how they play.