Vulturu Căutațori saw off Zimbru II 5-1 in the fifth round of Liga 1 on Thursday, maintaining their perfect start to the campaign. The home side had already accumulated 13 points from five matches before this fixture, sitting clear at the top of the table.
The visitors arrived with just three points from five games and four defeats, a tally that made them favourites for nothing. And here's the thing — Vulturu's recent matches showed a team comfortable in attack, scoring three or more goals in four of their last five outings before this one.
To be fair, Zimbru's defensive record had been poor in recent weeks, conceding ten goals across their last three league matches. By then, the gap between these two sides in the standings was already substantial enough to suggest a one-sided affair.
The result leaves Vulturu four points clear at the summit with five matches played, while Zimbru remain fifth with three points. The away side's recent form includes a solitary victory against Spartacani Sălată, but losses to FC Mîngău, Iskra and Universitatea Comrat have kept them well adrift.
What this means for Liga 1 is a growing separation between the top and bottom of the table. Vulturu's consistency — one draw and no defeats in five rounds — gives them a cushion that will be tested as the season progresses.