Romania round-up: Rapid march on

FC Rapid Bucuresti maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the Romanian First Division with a 2-0 away win against champions FC Dinamo Bucuresti.

Rapid response
Second-placed FC Steaua Bucuresti had closed the gap at the top to five points with a victory at FCM Bacau on Saturday, but Rapid responded well, and secured victory with a well-placed shot from Florin Bratu after 17 minutes and a Robert Ilyes header five minutes after half-time. The result marked a sixth successive loss for Dinamo, who slipped to four points above the relegation zone.

Headed winner
At Bacau, the home team lost goalkeeper Florin Prunea to a red card after just ten minutes and, in a tight game with few opportunities, Steaua scored the decisive goal five minutes past the hour as Eugen Trica headed a Florentin Dumitru cross into the net.

Away success
At the other end of the table, FC Politehnica AEK Timisoara suffered a ninth successive defeat, as third-placed FC National Bucuresti earned a 2-1 away win. The home side took the lead after 18 minutes, as Romeo Stancu scored from the rebound after his own header hit a post, but National equalised after 63 minutes through Ovidiu Petre, before a Slavisa Mitrovic penalty 16 minutes from time completed National's comeback.

First-half strikes
Fourth-placed CF Gloria Bistrita 1922 slipped to a 2-0 defeat at FC Universitatea Craiova with first-half goals from Ionut Lutu, who scored from the penalty spot after 12 minutes, and Pavel Badea sealing the home side’s win.

Dramatic finale
Elsewhere, Astra Ploiesti defeated FC Arges-Dacia Pitesti 2-1 with a winner from Vasile Ghindaru two minutes from time. The home side had taken the lead through Mihai Dascalescu, with Adrian Iordache equalising for Arges. FC Brasov were 2-1 winners against FC UTA Arad, with first-half goals from Cosmin Bodea and Nicolae Iorga putting the home side in command and Norbert Varga's late consolation Arad's only reply.

Relegation fears
FC Farul Constanta's fine run of form continued as they earned a 2-2 draw at CS Otelul Galati. Farul's scorers were Ianis Zicu and Adrian Senin, with Mihai Gurita and Ionut Bada on target for the home side. Second-bottom CF Sportul Studentesc slipped further into trouble with a 1-0 defeat at home to FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt, with Lucian Burdujan scoring the decisive goal after 50 minutes, taking advantage of the dismissal of Sportul's Stelian Stancu three minutes earlier.