Article by Alexandru Barbu – Published Friday, February 20, 2026, 5:37 p.m. / Updated Friday, February 20, 2026, 5:41 p.m.
How will the starting team of those from FCSB for Monday's game with Metaloglobus? With only one defensive midfielder and 3 changes compared to the lost match with Craiova University, 0-1.
FCSB have 3 legs of the regular season to play and are still hoping to catch the play-offs, although they are ranked 10th before the 28th round, which will end on Monday, with the duel between the defending champions and the last placed Metaloglobus.
FCSB, forced to beat everything: in what formula will Metaloglobus attack
Goalkeeper Matei Popa will continue to be the starter, as a solution to the U21 rule. In defense, FCSB will make at least one change, as Vali Crețu is suspended. His place will be taken by Pantea. Graovac and Duarte will play in the center of defense, and Risto Radunovic will be the left defender.
In the middle, Ofri Arad will debut, the midfielder presented since January 20, but who needed two months to get ready with the physical training.
Most likely, the Israeli will not team up with another footballer with a defensive profile, considering that the opponent is the “flashlight” Metaloglobus, but with Florin Tănase, restored, like Thiam, after a visit to Serbia, with Marijana Kovacevic.
Olaru is the engine of the team, but he is not the brain. The calculator is Tănase
– Gigi Becali, FCSB patron
The trio behind Bîrligea will include Miculescu, Olaru, Cisotti.
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How FCSB would look in the match with Metaloglobus: M. Popa – Pantea, Duarte, Graovac, Radunovic – Ofri Arad, Fl. Tănase – Miculescu, Olaru, Cisotti – Bîrligea
3 changeswould exist in the FCSB “11” compared to the failure with Craiova University, when Vali Crețu, Joao Paulo, Lixandru started from the first minute
In the tour it was a shock
Metaloglobus – 16th place, 11 points – achieved only two victories in the current championship. The first in Superliga history, against FCSB. It was played in Clinceni, in October. Florin Tănase opened the scoring from the penalty, in the first half, for Teja's team to unbelievably overturn the table in the second act, through the goals of Ubbink and Huiban.
Mihai Popescu, close to returning
The stopper, seriously injured in November 2025, at the national team, is to return to the field after a rupture of the cruciate ligament. Initially, FCSB expected Popescu, 32, to be out for the rest of the season, but he is already training with the team and, theoretically, could perform from March.
“Ngesana had a plasma injection”
Mihai Stoica claims that the only one unavailable from FCSB remains Ngezana, injured in the knee. “It's out. He had a plasma injection and hopes to escape this way. We believe he will also undergo surgery. Not something complicated that will keep him away for long, but he has to do it. That's what the doctors say,” said the president of the FCSB Board of Directors, for fanatik.ro.
