Romanian rivals bid for final four

FC Steaua Bucuresti gained a narrow first-leg advantage in their all-Romanian UEFA Cup quarter-final against city rivals AFC Rapid Bucuresti after a 1-1 first-leg draw at the Giulesti stadium. However, with Cosmin Olaroiu's team being forced to play their games at the unfamiliar Lia Manoliu stadium while their Ghencea home is refurbished, the second-leg venue could have an air of neutrality; adding to the cup final atmosphere.

• The Romanian capital is guaranteed to provide one UEFA Cup semi-finalist, and Steaua showed why they are in a superior league position to Rapid by wasting little time in taking the first-leg initiative. Banel Nicolita scored after just five minutes on Thursday to send the blue side of town into raptures before Viorel Moldovan’s 50th-minute strike earned Rapid a 1-1 draw.

• The result ended a run of seven consecutive UEFA Cup home wins for Rapid, stretching back to a 5-0 victory against Andorran outfit UE Sant Julià in the first qualifying round in July. They also negotiated their way past Feyenoord in the first round, earning a place in the group stage where they began with a 2-0 victory at home to Stade Rennais FC. Victories against FC Shakhtar Donetsk and PAOK FC followed as Daniel Niculae, Mugurel Buga and Marius Maldarasanu all found form.

• A 2-1 defeat by VfB Stuttgart in their final Group G fixture took a little gloss off their otherwise perfect progress, but Rapid quickly vanquished doubts against another Bundesliga team in the last 32, Hertha BSC Berlin. Valentin Marian Negru's second-half penalty ensured they triumphed 1-0 in the away leg, paving the way for a comfortable aggregate win.

• Their reward was a meeting with yet another German side - Hamburger SV. Niculae and Buga earned a 2-0 first-leg win and although Hamburg triumphed 3-1 in the return, Buga's goal at the AOL Arena proved decisive as Rapid progressed on away goals.

• Steaua's last-16 tie with Real Betis Balompié hung in the balance after Olaroiu's team were held to a goalless draw in the first encounter. But Nicolita was in superlative form in the return, scoring two stunning strikes either side of a Victoras Iacob goal to book Steaua's place in the quarter-finals. It proved a happy return to Seville, the scene of their greatest triumph, when they lifted the 1985/86 European Champion Clubs' Cup.

• Like Rapid, Steaua also finished the group stage as section winners following an unbeaten campaign that included comprehensive home wins against RC Lens and Halmstads BK. SC Heerenveen dealt them their first defeat on the campaign, 1-0, in the second leg of their last-16 tie but Steaua's 3-1 victory in the first encounter in the Netherlands proved insurmountable.

• A tie with Rapid was their reward; the first time Romanian clubs have been paired together in UEFA club competition. The winners will play the winners of the game between FC Basel 1893 and Middlesbrough FC in the semi-finals. The Swiss side won last Thursday's first leg 2-0.