Politehnica Timisoara got the spring off to a good start, on March 1, achieving its fifth success in a row in Series 9 of League 3 in what was also the team’s first official game in 2025. An unprecedented 4-0 (2-0) for the Alb-violeti against Viitorului Arad, in which captain Fabian Marincu scored a brace, Iosif Rotariu set the half-time score and top scorer Bogdan Istratie scored the last goal of the match at the “Banatul” stadium.

Cristian Gălan’s students showed their offensive intentions from the start. Rotariu (min. 7) and Prună (9) sent the first shots towards Gîrlea’s goal. The hosts first threatened in the 14th minute, when Munteanu headed wide. After other shots, by Istratie and Marincu, the latter was to open the scoring when the defense was caught on the counterattack. Popa recovered from Adamcsik’s legs, advanced and ideally set up the young captain of the Albvioletes, who scored to make it 1-0 with a shot under Gîrlea (min. 27). Three minutes later Bădăuță failed to take advantage of a gift from his former team, his shot going over Mosoarcă’s goal. Gavrilă (39) had the best chance for Viitorul, who had leveled the game a little, but Mosoarcă blocked it well after a hesitation of our defense. A minute later Prună sent the ball into the bar to the right of Gîrlea, the ball bounced to Iosif Liviu Rotariu, whose left-footed shot was blocked, but the ball came back to him and this time our midfielder didn’t miss the target again sending a right “pad” under the bar. It was 2-0 to Poli in the 40th minute, the score at half-time.

The second half was to be simpler. After Popa (50) had tested Gîrlea from distance, Marincu (59) increased the gap with a ball that went just past the bar to the keeper’s right after Miclăuș’s assist. Three minutes later Istratie’s elegant strike was disallowed for offside, but our striker made amends with a quarter of an hour to go when he sent a lofted shot to the right of Gîrlea for 4-0, the decisive pass also coming from Popa!

The result left Poli on 28 points and two points behind the trio of CSC Peciu Nou, CSC Ghiroda and Progresul Pecica. In the 17th round of League 3, the white-violets welcome the visit of Ghiroda on Saturday, March 8, at 15.00.

Viitorul Arad: Gîrlea – Stoianovici, Pantea, Cr. Munteanu, Blickling – Adamcsik (46, A. Hațegan) – Melniciuc (65, Miculaiciuc), Sas, Vezan (65, Ghergar), Gavrilă (80, Novac) – Bădăuță (65, Catanzariti). On the bench: Rasaq, Pal, Lobonț, An. Tulcan. Coach: Cristian Sculici.

Politehnica Timișoara: Mosoarcă – Miclăuș (74, Amariei), D. Roșu (80, Tătaru), R. Ciurel, Nagy (80, Krista) – Pureca, Rotariu – Prună (74, Boariu), Popa, Marincu (80, D. Ciurel) – Istratie. On the bench: Enășescu – Huminic, Mihăescu, Avramescu. Coach: Cristian Gălan.

“We tried to have a good game, do the right thing every moment of the game, do what we prepared. We were successful in finishing this time, really the guys played a very good game. As proof of that, the goals they had, they were very nice. They had very good individual execution. I congratulate them on that and I’m happy for their achievements and I’m happy for this victory because they fully deserve it. Although the score was 4-0 we had other situations. In the first half it was a pretty even game, because the opponent, at the beginning of the game, had some goal-scoring situations. But all in all, I think it’s a deserved victory for us and I congratulate the boys”, said Cristian Gălan, head coach of Politehnicii Timisoara.

The game in Arad saw the debut of the junior Denis Krista (b. 2008!), promoted this winter to the first team. Center-back Denis Tătaru, who was also used at Poli last season, also made his debut. “Denis Krista was in his first game, Denis Tătaru has played for us before. I wanted to get them to play. The evolution of the score allowed us to do that as well, but not only because of the score, but because everyone is preparing, preparing well and we try to put all the players on the field who are preparing well. I’m sorry that today there were five players on the sidelines who didn’t come in, but that’s the situation, we can’t get them all in. Probably every one of them wanted to come in, but given that we have to make five substitutions these were today,” said Gălan. The Politehnica coach is referring to several players who did not play because the rules also allow for additional reserves, who can come into the match squad in case of a last-minute injury. Today, Politehnicii’s additional reserves were goalkeeper Fabian Pop and midfielder Alex Militaru.

“I’m glad that the supporters were very happy at the end of the game, that’s a fantastic thing and I’m happy for them, for everyone!”, concluded Cristi Gălan.

Photo: Paul Sebo