Botoșani beat Viitorul Selymbăr 3:1 in the Romanian Cup Final on 20 August 2026. The visitors took control early and never looked back, despite a spirited fightback from the home side. By then, Botoșani had already made their intentions clear.
Gabriel Gama gave Viitorul Selymbăr the lead in the eighteenth minute, a moment that lifted the home crowd. To be fair, Botoșani responded quickly, with Z. Mitrov equalising just before the half-hour mark. Then, in the forty-first minute, J. Markovic turned the game on its head with a second goal.
The fourth goal arrived in the sixtieth minute, extending Botoșani's advantage. And here's the thing — the home side had chances to get back into it, but they ran out of time. The match was decided in those three or four moments, and the rest was noise.
Statistics tell part of the story. Botoșani held 60 per cent possession and registered 118 attacks compared to 96 for Viitorul Selymbăr. Shots on target tell a starker picture: seven for the visitors, two for the hosts. Botoșani were clinical when it mattered.
Both sides received two yellow cards, and neither was sent off. Viitorul Selymbăr committed six offsides, while Botoșani managed four. The corners were 2 to 5, another reflection of who pressed higher.
Botoșani have not won since their last defeat, but this victory changes everything. Viitorul Selymbăr, meanwhile, ground out the win in their previous game only to lose this one. Cup football has its own rules, and tonight, the visitors understood them.