Parma look for positive return against goal-shy Steaua

Parma FC, anxious to return to winning ways following their opening group game 2-0 loss at Athletic Club Bilbao, face Romanian opposition for the first time in UEFA club competitions.

Steaua set new goals
The Italian club have a fine record since their first UEFA club competition in 1991, having won both the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1993 and the UEFA Cup in both 1995 and 1999. Parma reached the group stage with a 3-2 aggregate win over Slovenian club NK Maribor, and meet an FC Steaua Bucuresti club looking not only for their first win, but their first goal, against Italian opposition in UEFA club competitions.

Dutch double
Steaua have met Italian opposition on four previous occasions. In the 1984/85 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup against AS Roma, Francesco Graziani scored the only goal of the tie in the first leg at Rome, and four years later AC Milan beat Steaua 4-0 in the European Champion Clubs’ Cup final with two goals each from current Feyenoord coach Ruud Gullit, and current Dutch coach Marco van Basten.

Room for improvement
Steaua then played Genoa 1893 in the third round of the 1991/92 UEFA Cup when they lost both legs 1-0, and, in the 1995/96 UEFA Champions League group stage, Steaua lost 3-0 at eventual winners Juventus, before drawing 0-0 at Bucharest. Steaua’s overall record reads two draws and five losses in seven games against Italian clubs with no goals scored and 10 conceded.

Encouragement
But Steaua will be encouraged to break the jinx after their opening group game success 2-0 against Royal Standard de Liege, thanks to second half goals from Ivica Dragutinovic (penalty) and Adrian Neaga in the last 20 minutes.