U Cluj will meet Farul today at 5 PM in a match of significant importance for both teams. This encounter marks a special occasion as the Ardelenii face off against their former coach, Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, in a game seen as a chance to rebound from recent penalty shootout losses.
This match is the opening game of the new season for U Cluj, and they will be facing Sabău, who recently took charge of Farul Constanța. Sabău played a pivotal role in revitalizing the club along the Someș River, helping them avoid relegation after overcoming a playoff battle with Chindia Târgoviște, and guiding them to the Romanian Cup final and European competitions.
U Cluj is looking to regain momentum following tough defeats in penalty shootouts against Universitatea Craiova in the Romanian Supercup and Dinamo Kiev in the first preliminary round of the Europa League.
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Starting Teams for U Cluj vs Farul Constanța
U Cluj (4-1-2-3): Lefter – Stanojev, I. Cristea, D. Codrea, Chipciu (cpt.) – Ov. Bic – Nistor, Drammeh – Alibek Aliev, Macalou, M. Ștefănescu
Substitutes: Neoftyos, T. Cosa, Chinteș, Poulolo, Techereș, Friday Adams, G. Simion, Pinho, Pall, O. Mendy, Chukwu, Atanas Trică
Injuries: Mikanovic (injured), Lukic (resting), Coubiș (doubtful)
Coach: Cristiano Bergodi
Farul (4-3-3): R. Munteanu – D. Sîrbu, Dican, Larie (cpt.), Țicu – Alhinvi, Njike, Vînă – Doicaru, Alibec, Sylvestre
Substitutes: Buzbuchi, Bouzamoucha, Gustavo, Kaminski, L. Banu, Ed. Radaslavescu, N. Popescu, Goncear, Grygorian, R. Tănasă, I. Cojocaru, C. Sima
Coach: Ioan Ovidiu Sabău
Venue: Cluj Arena
Referee: Szabolcs Kovacs (Carei). Assistants: Marius Badea (Rm. Vâlcea), Adrian Vornicu (Iași). VAR: Radu Petrescu (București). VAR Assistant: Cristina Trandafir (București)
Noteworthy Facts about U Cluj vs Farul
The last time U Cluj suffered a home league defeat was on November 1, 2025, against FCSB, after which they achieved 11 home victories and two draws. Conversely, Farul has only one win in their last 11 away matches in the Superliga, with three draws and seven losses.
Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, appointed head coach of Farul this summer, is now managing his sixth team in Romania’s top league, where he debuted on August 5, 2005, with Jiul Petroșani.
The match also features two of the coaches with the most matches in Romania’s elite competition: Sabău has 330 matches, while Cristiano Bergodi has 285.
Since U Cluj’s return to the top tier in 2022, the two teams have faced each other eight times in the league, with U Cluj winning four, Farul winning one, and three matches ending in draws.
Ionuț Larie is the active player with the most seasons in the Superliga, starting his 19th at the highest level, while Dan Nistor, with 512 Superliga matches, is just three games short of Ionel Dănciulescu’s all-time record of 515 appearances.
