Was the defeat in Ploiești just a slip? Our Superliga team will have the chance to prove it against Metaloglobus in Clinceni on Monday, if we manage to secure the absolutely necessary three points.

Was the defeat in Ploiești just a slip? Our Superliga team will have the chance to prove it against Metaloglobus in Clinceni on Monday, if we manage to secure the absolutely necessary three points.

The team led by Ilyés Róbert had been performing very well in the 2026 calendar year up until the previous round, when we left all three points in Ploiești with a performance below expectations. One slip can be acceptable in the play-out, but certainly not two: against Metaloglobus, if we want to remain in the fight for survival, a win is a must.

The Bucharest side are familiar opponents, as we were promoted together from the second division, although they had to go through the play-off. In the regular season, we drew 2–2 at home in September, but in February we made amends and took all three points in Clinceni thanks to Bödő’s early goal in the 6th minute.

As for current form, recent results still favor us despite the last defeat: in 2026 our opponents have collected only five points, while we have 20, leading the play-out standings calculated only on this year’s results before the round and ranking seventh overall in the league. Metaloglobus, on the other hand, sit at the bottom both in these “virtual” tables and in the official play-out standings. Even so, the coaching staff expects a tough match.

At the pre-match press conference, head coach Ilyés Róbert, returning to the bench after suspension, highlighted the challenges ahead: “It bothered me that I was suspended for an unintentional incident. I felt I couldn’t help the team from the stands, and it hurt, but I return even more determined. We hope to get back to the form we had before the Ploiești match. We analyzed the opponent, and since their new coach arrived, they are more solid defensively—you can see Florin Bratu’s work. They are hard to break down, even FCSB struggled, and Petrolul didn’t create many chances either. They suffered a heavy defeat in Arad, but conceded three goals from set pieces. They don’t look like a last-place team, they’ve punished many opponents with their play, so we expect a difficult game.”

The team has already moved on from Ploiești and is fully focused on Metaloglobus, as Hegedűs János stated: “Even in the second division, matches against them were never easy. As the coach said, their position doesn’t reflect their quality or how they play when they have the ball. When we have possession, it depends on us how we break their defense, as they rely heavily on defensive organization. I think we are good at this and know how to unlock such teams. We faced many similar opponents in the second division who sat deep against us, so now we must prove it again.”

His defensive teammate Răzvan Trif shares the same view: “We are well prepared and confident. I believe the defeat in Ploiești was just a slip. We are going to Bucharest to win, because this is a key match—if we get the three points, we move closer to our objective.”

The match of the 4th round of the Superliga play-out will take place on Monday at 15:30 at Clinceni Arena and will be broadcast by Digisport 1 and Prima Sport 1. Supporters can also join the traveling fans, as the team needs strong backing—and Clinceni could easily feel like home from this perspective.

Rédai Attila
Photo: Pál Zoltán