LIVE FC Botoșani – FCSB, duel in stage 3 of the play-out

Today's combatants are separated by 3 points: FCSB leads the play-out with 27, and FC Botoșani is in 3rd place, 3 lengths behind.

Video with Darius Olaru's goal:

LIVE » FC Botoșani – FCSB 1-2

FC Botoșani – FCSB, starting teams:

FC BOTOSANI (4-2-3-1): Kukic – Suta, Miron (capt.), Diaw, Creț – Papa, Petro – Adams, Ongenda, Mitrov – Mailat
reserves: Tomache – Șigănașu, Ilas, Bordeianu, E. David, Pănoiu, Aldair, Bota, Limas, Bodisteanu, Dumiter
Absent: Kovtaliuk (suspended), Anestis (injured)
Coach: Marius Tailor

FCSB (4-3-3): M. Popa – Pantea, Duarte, Dawa, J. Paulo – F. Tănase, Lixandru, Olaru (capt.) – Miculescu, Thiam, Cisotti
Reserves: Târnovanu, Zima – V. Crețu, Graovac, M. Popescu, Chiricheș, Ngezana, Radunovic, Oct. Popescu, Alhassan, Al. Stoian, D. Popa
Absent: Arad, Cercel, Bîrligea (injured)
Coach: Mirel Radoi

Stadium: Municipal (Botoşani)
Referee: George Roman // Assistants: George Neacșu, Radu Ghiciulescu
VAR referee: Adrian Cojocaru // Assistant VAR: Claudio Marcu

The live ranking from the Superliga play-out

With a win, FCSB will consolidate their leading position in the play-out, while the Moldovans would equal their rival if they get the three points.

It's a difficult game. It's a game that on paper looks like a battle for the places that are eligible for the European Cup play-offs, it will be difficult. I am firmly convinced that the boys understood from the stinging, painful failure that we suffered in Sibiu. Winning a match isn't just about showing up, it's more. I am convinced that they will have a different attitude.

FCSB was surprised before. We can do it too with attitude, with dedication, with a desire to win. It is clear that FCSB's team is more valuable than ours.

That doesn't stop my players from playing well and winning, just like they did in the fall. I really want us to win for the boys.

– Marius Croitoru, FC Botoșani coach

We meet a much more open opponent, who plays more organized in the defensive phase, since the arrival of Marius. They were more compact before, with more transitions, but now there are different principles, a team with a very good dynamic.

In the last match there was an away score, it should have been more balanced. We prepared very well with the players we had, we have some problems with some players and we will see what the medical department will solve.

– Mirel Rădoi, FCSB coach

The best statistics before FC Botoșani – FCSB

• Eight wins, five draws and three defeats is the record recorded by the Moldovans in the current championship at home.

• The red-blues won in six of the 15 away games in the current season, and four other times they ended in a draw.

• FC Botoșani has 11 matches without a goal scored, of which five in 2026.

• FCSB scored 26 goals in the first half (out of 49), including 10 in the 15th minute.

• The Bucharest team is the team that sent the most shots on goal – 201 (FC Botoșani – 137).

  Botošaneni have conceded at least one goal in seven of the previous eight matches played in the championship.

• -If it will be used, the Italian Juri Cisotti will mark the 100th game in the Super League, in which he scored 20 times and provided 10 decisive assists.

• The two teams have met in the main domestic competition 30 times, 22 times the Bucharest team prevailed, three times the Botošan team won, and five other games ended in a draw.

• The first confrontation took place on September 22, 2013, FC Botoşani-FCSB 1-2, scorers Ciprian Dinu, respectively Lukasz Szukala and Federico Piovaccari.

• The biggest score difference was recorded in the second leg of the 2013/2014 season, on March 31, FCSB-FC Botoşani 4-0.

• The most goals were scored on November 8, 2015, FCSB-FC Botoşani 5-3.

• The most recent direct Superliga match: February 5, 2026, FCSB-FC Botoșani 2-1 (scorers: M. Thiam, D. Olaru / M. Kovtaliuk).

• It should be remembered that Marius Croitoru, in his 150th game as a coach on the first stage, played as a player in the Bucharest red-blue shirt for two seasons, in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, being a colleague of Mirel Rădoi, the current technician of the visitors.