Corvinul Hunedoara is set to clash with CFR Cluj this evening at 21:30 in the fifth round of the Superliga. This match in Arad marks the first for Marius Șumudică in his second term as the head coach of the Cluj team. Fans can follow the action via liveTEXT on GSP.ro, while the game will also be broadcast on Digi Sport 1 and Prima Sport 1.
Corvinul has had a strong start this season, suffering only one defeat. Their record includes a convincing 3-0 victory over Csikszereda, along with two draws: 1-1 against Sepsi and a goalless match with FC Botoșani. The team, managed by Florin Maxim, has shown that it can pose challenges to higher-ranked opponents.
Conversely, CFR Cluj has struggled on the road, failing to secure any points in their two away matches thus far. They lost to Oțelul with a score of 1-2 and to Rapid with 1-3. The upcoming game in Hunedoara presents a vital opportunity for the railwaymen to clinch their first away win of the season.
LIVE at 21:30 » Corvinul vs. CFR Cluj
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Starting Lineups for Corvinul vs. CFR Cluj:
CORVINUL (4-2-3-1): C. Sandu – F. Iacob, Ivancevic, A. Manolache, Neacșa – Hrezdac, Ribeiro – N. Pîrvulescu, Yeboah, Fabry – Espinosa
Substitutes: Frânculescu, Dringa, F. Ilie, Cărăruș, R. Deaconu, M. Bratu, Hayatu, Goodlad, Gillard, Zanc
Manager: Florin Maxim
CFR CLUJ (4-3-3): Vâlceanu – Braun, Pantalon, Abeid, Simao Rocha – Korenica, Djokovic (cpt.), Ad. Păun – Cordea, Drazic, Sfait
Substitutes: Gal, Andre Moreira – Camora, Kun, Kresic, Ziblim, Barrios, Perianu, Bruno Costa, Biliboc, Miclăuș, Sula
Manager: Marius Șumudică
Stadium: Francisc von Neuman (Arad)
Referee: Flueran Viorel (Dolj)
Assistants: Bârdeș Romică Ionuț (Argeș), Vătămanu Cosmin (București)
VAR Referee: Trandafir Cristina (București)
VAR Assistant: Petrescu Radu Marian (București)
Key Match Insights from Liviu Manolache
Corvinul stands out this season with a notable number of players making their Superliga debuts; a total of 11 squad members have played their first minutes at this level, marking the team as having the most debutants this season.
The match also has significant individual stakes. Should Aly Abeid feature for CFR Cluj, he will reach 100 appearances in Romania’s top league, becoming the 135th foreign player to achieve this milestone.
In terms of individual performances, Corvinul features one of the league’s most effective players in duels. Flavius Iacob has won 29 ground duels in the first four rounds, leading the Superliga in this statistic.
This Sunday’s match will also be a first in Romania’s top league, as Corvinul Hunedoara and CFR Cluj meet for the first time in the Superliga, despite having faced each other in other competitions previously.
The teams last met in the Romanian Cup during the 2023/2024 season on April 2, 2024, where Corvinul shocked everyone with a decisive 4-0 victory against CFR Cluj, with both teams managed by Florin Maxim and Adrian Mutu, respectively.
