Tunař claimed a 2:1 victory over Ştefăneşti in the Romanian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday evening, advancing to the final stage of the competition. The hosts took the lead through a goal in the thirteenth minute, then doubled their advantage shortly before half-time. Ştefăneşti pulled one back in the fifty-sixth minute but could not find an equaliser despite dominating possession.
The statistics told a different story. The visitors enjoyed 53 per cent of the ball and registered eight shots on target compared to four for Tunař. Yet efficiency mattered more than volume here, and Tunař converted their chances when it counted. To be fair, Ştefăneşti created more opportunities but failed to punish.
Both sides collected four yellow cards each, with no red cards to disrupt the flow. Tunař earned six corners to Ştefăneşti's three, though the away side threw in the ball 31 times against 20 for the hosts. By then, the momentum had shifted firmly in favour of the home team.
Tunař's recent form had been mixed, including a heavy 6:0 defeat to Slatina and a 0:3 loss to Steaua. That 3:0 win over Păuleşti on Saturday suggested they were finding their rhythm again. Ştefăneşti came into this tie with a 1:0 victory over Dumbrăviţa but had suffered a 0:3 defeat to Bacău just days earlier.
The result means Tunař will now await their opponents in the final, having overcome a side that outplayed them for large stretches. Three goals and one goal difference separated these two teams, and it was the hosts' sharper finishing that made the difference.