LIVE. FC Botoșani – CFR Cluj, duel in the 21st stage of the Superliga

After 20 matches, FC Botoșani is in 3rd place, with 38 points. It is tied with Dinamo (2nd place) and one point behind the leader Rapid. And with a win, they could finish the year in first place, depending on what their rivals do.

CFR Cluj is not having the best season. He is only in 11th place, with 23 points. He is 7 points from the play-offs and needs a win to hope he can get closer to the top spots.

FC Botoșani – CFR Cluj, live from 20:00

FC Botoșani – CFR Cluj, probable teams

FC Botosani: Anestis – F. Adams, Miron, Șigănașu, B. Creț – Bordeianu, Petro – Mitrov, Ongenda, Mailat – Dumiter
reserves: Kukic, Munoz Fernandez, Suta, E. David, Diaw, Papa, Aldair, Ciurel, Cîmpanu, Bodisteanu, E. Lopez
Absent: Ilas, Francisco Junior, M. Kovtalyuk, R. Sadiku
Coach: Leo Grozavu

CFR Cluj: Hindrich – Kun, Sinyan, Kresic, Camora – Muhar, Fica, Keita – Cordea, Chernigoi, Korenica
Reserves: Valceanu, Gal, Abeid, Coco, Djokovic, Paun, Sfaiț, Biliboc, C. Deac, Cernigoi
Absent: M. Ilie, Munteanu (suspended), Rocha, Karama (injured)
Coach: Daniel Pancu

Stadium: Municipal (Botoșani)
Referee: Sebastian Colțescu // Assistants: Sebastian Gheorghe, Mircea Grigoriu
VAR Referee: Ionuț Coza // Assistant VARs: Radu Ghinguleac

Superliga live standings:

VIDEO. Leo Grozavu, the press conference before FC Botoșani – CFR Cluj

VIDEO. Daniel Pancu's press conference, before the match with FC Botoșani

“The first and last impression of the year always matters. We want to have a good game against a team that is unbeatable in this championship at home, with a coach that I respect a lot. A team that maintains a level of play and a constant intensity throughout the 90 minutes.

Sure, it's a team that also has its weaknesses. Unfortunately, we have a lot of problems this week. In addition to suspensions, there were other injuries, colds, flus, viruses. We are in a difficult situation, at least numerically.

But to win a football match, the late Vasile Simionaș told me about 30 years ago, you need 10 players and a goalkeeper. We have a few more players and even 3 goalkeepers at our disposal. FC Botoșani is unbeatable, no one has won there, the team in first place in home matches, but it also has weaknesses and I hope we will take advantage”, said Daniel Pancu, at the press conferencebefore the trip to FC Botoșani.

Those from FC Botoșani absolutely deserve to be up there. They made a sensational championship. I maintain a constant intensity throughout the game. Good players, dangerous, very good, can handle big spaces. We will have to be careful.

Louis Munteanu is a very important player who is missing, but we are at CFR, we have solutions at hand. Louis is a player who at any moment can create panic in a defense, he is hard to replace, I hope to be inspired and find solutions.

We always want all three points. We will approach the game in the same way, I am deserved there, we live a different year, a different half of the season, any club goes through such periods and it will definitely be resolved. I don't know what the players' financial situation is, I don't want to look for alibis, I know there have been problems before, it's not something new at the club.

– Daniel Pancu, the coach of CFR Cluj

The best statistics before FC Botoșani – CFR Cluj:

• April 14, 2025, FC Botoșani-Oțelul 0-1 was the only home defeat suffered by Leo Grozavu's students in the main domestic competition in this calendar year, during which they recorded nine successes and nine draws.

• Only one win was scored by the Transylvanians in the current edition as visitors, 1-0 against Unirea Slobozia (November 9, 2025), in the rest five draws and four lost games.

• The two teams have met in the main domestic competition 31 times, the Moldovans prevailed eight times, the Transylvanians won 15 times, and the other eight games ended in a draw.

• The first match took place on July 21, 2013, 0-0 at “Municipal” from Botoşani, the game marking the debut of the Moldovan group in the Romanian Super League.

• The first of the 15 successes achieved by Cluj was recorded on December 15, 2013, CFR-FC Botoşani 3-1.

• December 13, 2015, FC Botoşani-CFR Cluj 2-1, the first victory achieved by the Botoşani team in direct duels (Ngadeu, I. Fulop / Lopez).

• The biggest score difference: April 16, 2016, CFR Cluj-FC Botoşani 6-0.

• The last success ticked off by Cluj as visitors: May 18, 2021, FC Botoșani-CFR Cluj 0-1.

• The most recent direct Superliga match: August 17, 2025, CFR Cluj-FC Botoșani 3-3 (Emerllahu, Cordea, Korenica / Kovtaliuk, Suta, Mailat).