Basarab Panduru has highlighted the impressive rise of two footballers in the Superliga: Simon Elisor (27), a forward for Universitatea Craiova, and Martin Pascual (27), a central defender for Dinamo.
The former Romanian international is astonished by the pair’s efficiency, considering they had not made a significant impression with their goal tally prior to arriving in Romania.
Both Elisor and Pascual are enjoying exceptional form in the Superliga, becoming vital players for their teams, especially noted for their scoring prowess.
Elisor, who scored just one goal last season for Famalicao, has already netted seven times in as many matches for the Craiova club. His latest goal contributed to a 2-0 victory against Farul Constanța on Sunday.
Martin Pascual’s situation is even more remarkable. The Spanish defender had not scored in his career before joining Dinamo, yet he has already tallied five goals in his first 12 appearances for the Bucharest team.
Basarab Panduru Surprised by Elisor and Pascual’s Goal-scoring Records
Currently, Simon Elisor leads the Superliga’s scoring chart with seven goals, followed by Alibek Aliev, Stefan Drazic, and Andrei Dumiter, each with six goals.
Martin Pascual’s five goals are particularly impressive for a central defender who had not scored before coming to Romania.
Panduru has cast doubt on the competitive level of the Romanian league, noting that two players with little offensive history have emerged among the league’s top scorers.
“Isn’t it curious that two players, Elisor and Pascual, come to Romania, with Elisor scoring one goal last year, and Pascual none in his life, and now they are both among the top scorers in Romania?” Panduru remarked.
He added, “For Elisor, it seems you paid one and a half million euros for what he might deliver, not for what he has delivered. That’s the truth! If I present someone who scored one goal and ask for 1.5 million, you’ll throw a million back at me!” according to primasport.ro.
