LIVE Dinamo – Unirea Slobozia » Claudiu Niculescu returns as an opponent of the “dogs”

LIVE » Dinamo – Unirea Slobozia 0-0

Dinamo – Unirea Slobozia, starting teams:

Dinamo (4-3-3): Roșca – Sivis, Boateng, Stoinov, Opruț – Gnahore, Mărginean, Soro – Armstrong, Karamoko, Musi
reserves: From Licaciu, Milanov, Mazilu, Cr. Mihai, I. Tarbă, M. Toader, M. Duțu, Ikoko, Țicu, Al. Pop
Coach: Zeljko Kopic

• Devis Epassy (33 years old), the starting goalkeeper from Dinamo, is not part of the team for this match. He suffered a severe cold and is being cared for.

Unirea Slobozia (4-2-3-1): Rusu – Dorobanțu, Dinu, Orozco, Şerbănica – Al. Albu, T. Lungu – Bărbut, Papeau, Ponde – Said
reserves: R. Popa, Ibrian, Safronov, Garutti, Tsoungui, M. Lemnaru, V. Pop, Dragu, Carnat, Vlasceanu, Dulcea, Dahan
Coach: Claudiu Niculescu

Stadium: National Arena
Referee: Sorin Vădana (Cluj-Napoca – Cluj)
A1: Bobe Ionuţ Marius (Bucharest – Bucharest)
A2: Ilinca Cristian Daniel (Craiova – Dolj)
VAR referee: Flueran Viorel Nicusor (Craiova – Dolj)
Referee AVAR: Adrian Popescu (Craiova – Dolj)
R1: Baban Vlad (Iasi – Iasi)
R2: ( – )
Obs. referees: Savaniu Marcel (Satu Mare – Satu Mare)

Superliga standings, in real time:

Update, 18:30 » The Dynamo players went out to inspect the lawn

A few moments ago, the dynamists came out to inspect the lawn. Zeljko Kopic and Florentin Petre ran across the field, then returned to the dressing room. All the red-white players, with the figures denoting concentration, headphones on their ears.

Dynamovists did not sit in groups, but isolated themselves, one by one, focusing individually.

Update, 18:20 » The Dynamo players have arrived at the National Arena

Update, 18:15 » The world does not crowd the Arena

A little over two hours before the start of the match between Dinamo and Unirea Slobozia, at the end of which the “dogs” can mathematically ensure their qualification for the play-offs, with three stages before the end of the regular season, the atmosphere around the country's biggest stadium is quiet.

For this confrontation, the last of the 27th stage of the Super League, a large attendance is not expected: approximately 6,000 red and white fans, to which will be added a small group of supporters from Slobozia, positioned on the “yellow-blue” lawn.

The match also represents a reunion between Dinamo and Claudiu Niculescu, former player and coach of the club, but also the all-time scorer of the “dogs” in European cups.

Dinamo starts with the first chance before the game in the biggest stadium of the country. The “Dogs” climbed to 2nd place without playing, after the failure of Rapid from Ovidiu, score 1-3 with Farul. With 49 points, Zeljko Kopic's team is 4 points behind the leader Universitatea Craiova.

On the other hand, Unirea Slobozia has changed its coach, and the people of Ialomi consider it luck. In Claudiu Niculescu's debut, Slobozia defeated Farul in the previous stage, score 2-1, in a game in which Jayson Papeau was MVP with a “double”.

The “dogs” come after qualifying in the “quarters” of the Romanian Betano Cup. On Wednesday, Dinamo defeated Hermannstadt, score 2-0, and for a place in the semifinals they will play Metalul Buzău. In the championship, the “dogs” drew at home with Craiova University, score 1-1.

In the last five direct matches between Dinamo and Unirea Slobozia, the “dogs” won four times, and one game ended in a draw (friendly).

In the round, Kopic's team prevailed at the limit in Clinceni, on an extremely difficult ground due to the weather conditions, score 1-0. Stipe Perica had then scored the winning goal, the Croatian meanwhile left the team and arrived in Uzbekistan.

In the hosts' camp, captain Cătălin Cîrjan (23 years old) is suspended due to the number of cards.

In case of success, Dinamo puts three points between themselves and Rapid, just before the derby on Saturday, February 21.

Dinamo – Unirea Slobozia | Key data about the match, filtered by GSP statistician Liviu Manolache

• December 20, 2025, UTA-Dinamo 2-0 was the only defeat suffered by the people from Bucharest in the last 13 stages, during which they recorded seven wins and five draws.

• 16 defeats have been suffered by the Ialomi team in the current championship, 10 of which at the limit (the most of all competitors).

• Dynamo scored 26 goals in the second half, 12 of which after the 75th minute.

• 11 of the 26 goals scored by Unirea were scored after fixed phases, and another five on the counterattack.

• The Ialomi team is the team with the most domestic players used in the first 22 rounds – 22.

• Alberto Soro's developments in 2026 should be highlighted, a year in which he stood out in four of the five matches: three assists (1-0 U Cluj, 1-1 Petrolul, 3-2 Farul) and one goal (1-1 U Craiova).

• The game will be a special one for the guest coach Claudiu Niculescu, a legendary name in the history of Dynamo, the club in whose jersey he won the title three times (2001/02, 2003/04, 2006/07) and was the top scorer of the Superliga twice (2004/05, 2006/07). He is also the player with the most matches and goals in European cups for Dinamo – 43 games / 18 goals.

• The two teams have met in the main domestic competition only three times and each time the team from Bucharest prevailed.

• The most recent direct match in the Super League: October 3, 2025, Unirea Slobozia-Dinamo 0-1, goal scored by Stipe Perica.