The Blue and Whites lost the first game of the day of the Slovenj Gradec training camp, which is coming to an end. With a younger line-up, Politehnica were outplayed 1-3 by Slovenian second division NK Fužinar Ravne.

Four of the starters were players born in 2004. Moreover, the first half even ended with five juniors from this generation following medical changes. And in the last 20 minutes we also had the youngest of the group, goalkeeper Mario Balica, born in 2006! Other players, for the first time in pre-season, played more than 90 minutes.

The Slovenian side dominated the early part of the game, but the first great scoring opportunity fell to Țurcaș (17th minute), who couldn’t take advantage of an error, which brought him face-to-face with the goalkeeper and was eventually dispossessed. Good minutes followed for our team and Răzvan Milea opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a shot to the right of the goalkeeper from outside the box after a ball received from M. Andone.

NK Fuzinar equalised five minutes later, after a phase that was treated too loosely by us and finished by Lejs Plicanic with a shot to Harrison’s left from inside the box. Three minutes later the Slovenians took the lead again after Faris Zubanović’s header sent the ball falling somewhere in the crease to the right of our goalkeeper.

On the restart, Oanea (48) came close to equalising, but it was the Slovenians who scored again. In the 51st minute the same Zubanović broke away from Harrison, dribbled sideways and scored from an angle. Immediately Olariu could have reduced the deficit, but his shot from a good position also went around the goalkeeper’s right post. After the 1-3 goal the white-violet dominated the final, but Bătănași (59) and Ignea (79 and 81) twice failed to score for our team.

Politehnica (coach Bogdan Andone): Devenish-Meares (70, Balica) – Jurj, Moțiu (31, Pureca), Gologan, Oanea, M. Andone, Olariu, Milea (44, Bakoș), Ignea, Amdouni*, Țurcaș (46, Bătănași).

Cristian Bocsan will miss three to six weeks following a knee injury sustained in the first match of the Slovenian camp.

*Mälek Amdouni (central midfielder/side midfielder, 21, SV Pullach – L5 Germany last season) is on trial with our team.

Polytechnic results in Slovenia:

1-2 cu NK Tabor Sezana (L1)

2-1 cu NK Brinje Grosuplje (L2)

1-3 cu NK Fuzinar Ravne (L2)

The last game of the Slovenj Gradec training camp is also today at 18.00 against NK Triglav Kranj (L2) at the same venue (also live on Facebook).