Minaur Baia Mare put their semi-final hopes on ice by thrashing Satu Mare 5:0 in the Romanian Cup on 12 August 2026. The hosts turned it on from the opening whistle, and there is no value left at that number when a side plays like this. By then, the tie was already over in all but name.
A. Buziuc struck first at the quarter-hour mark, and to be fair, the visitors had nothing to lose after that. R. Stanescu doubled the advantage just before the break, then immediately punished them from open play in the 48th minute. The scoreline widened further with Stanescu's second in the 68th and D. Buhai's late addition in the 88th.
And here's the thing about the numbers — possession sat at 0.6 for the hosts against 0.4 for the visitors. Minaur registered nine shots on target and seven off, while their opponents managed just one on target from three attempts off target. The disparity told the story without needing commentary.
What mattered more than the statistics was the manner in which the home side controlled the tempo. They didn't need to change shape at the break or play the second half a man up; they simply saw the game out with composure. Satu Mare, who had drawn two of their last five league matches, looked shell-shocked from start to finish.
The result sends Minaur Baia Mare through to the Romanian Cup final, where they will face whoever emerges from the other semi-final. For Satu Mare, the campaign ends in embarrassment — a five-goal defeat at home says more than any post-match handshaking ever could.