Zalău secured a 3-2 victory over Unirea Dej in a club friendly match on Thursday afternoon. The contest took place at the Zalău ground on 1 October 2026, with the hosts finding their best form to overturn the scoreline. Both sides came into the fixture looking to build momentum ahead of the new season.
There was history between the two clubs already this month. Just a few days earlier on 25 September, Unirea Dej had beaten Zalău 3-0 in what was another friendly encounter. The visitors arrived in Zalău with that result fresh in memory, but the hosts refused to go away this time around.
Zalău's recent run had been uneven. They beat Știința Baia Mare 3-1 on 27 September before suffering that heavy defeat to Unirea Dej. Earlier in the year they showed promise against Steaua București, winning 3-1 on 16 May but losing two subsequent meetings by narrow margins.
Unirea Dej came into the match off a poor run. They had lost 0-3 to Știința Baia Mare on 26 September, after their victory over Zalău. Their previous results included losses to CSM București and Dynamo București, though they had managed two clean sheets against CSM earlier in the spring.
The 3-2 result gave Zalău something tangible to take from their pre-season preparations. It was a chance to show they could respond after setbacks, and the final scoreline suggested they had found the right approach. The match ended with the hosts taking the points, and both teams now turn their attention to what lies ahead.
