Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Uta Arad beat Progresul Pecica 3-0 in their first pre-season friendly. Baba, Campan and Ile scored after half-time as Mihalcea tested a young squad.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Manager Adrian Mihalcea fielded a youthful starting XI in the first period — mostly juniors and trialists, with only the two goalkeepers and Nigerian winger Ndon representing senior experience. The first 45 minutes ended goalless despite chances at both ends. Uta's Bolohan fired wide from the centre of the box, while Pecica hit the crossbar through M. Rusu's curling 20-metre effort that beat Gorcea. Crainic also forced a close-range save from the Uta goalkeeper.
Mihalcea changed all but one outfield player at half-time, introducing a more settled second-string side that included several players on trial. The move paid off immediately.
50' — Baba (Uta Arad). Ianis Făgărău, an 18-year-old winger recently arrived from Viitorul Cluj, slipped a clever pass through to Robert Baba inside the area. Baba lifted a delicate chip over the advancing Pecica goalkeeper Zamfir from nine metres to make it 1-0.
56' — L. Campan (Uta Arad). Lucas Câmpan carved through the Pecica defence with ease and finished left-footed into the net for 2-0.
Progresul almost halved the deficit when Rusu forced a sharp save from Uta goalkeeper Tordai from six metres, but the momentum stayed with the visitors.
68' — D. Ile (Uta Arad). Câmpan struck the crossbar, and Denis Ile collected the rebound before firing a crisp 18-metre shot inside the right post, leaving substitute goalkeeper Burtic with no chance.
The turning point
The raft of half-time changes by Mihalcea transformed Uta's attacking output. After a disjointed first half in which both sides created but lacked polish, the introduction of a more cohesive XI — built around experienced trialists and young talents like Făgărău — produced three goals in 18 minutes and settled the contest before the hour mark.
Key performers
- Robert Baba opened the scoring with a composed chip and looked lively throughout the second half. He also had a late header saved.
- Lucas Câmpan scored one and hit the bar leading to the third; his direct running caused consistent problems.
- Ianis Făgărău (18) marked his unofficial Uta debut with a fine assist for the opening goal and was one of the brightest individuals on the pitch, per local reports.
- Denis Ile rounded off the scoring with a well-struck effort from distance and tested the goalkeeper again moments later.
By the numbers — interpreted
The 0-0 half-time scoreline was deceiving: Pecica had arguably the clearer chances before the break, hitting the bar and forcing a point-blank save. Uta's second-half xG surge (all three goals arrived in an 18-minute spell) reflected the tactical reset at half-time rather than any inherent dominance. The clean sheet owed something to Tordai's reflexes from six metres as Pecica briefly threatened at 2-0.
What it means
This was Uta Arad's first pre-season friendly of the summer (20 June 2026) as Mihalcea builds towards the new Liga II campaign. The manager will take encouragement from the second-half performance and particularly from the young attacking trio of Făgărău, Baba and Câmpan. Progresul Pecica, preparing for their Liga 3 season, showed resilience in the first half but faded after the interval against superior fitness and quality. Uta's next pre-season test is unconfirmed at the time of writing.
Verdict
A routine pre-season workout played in extreme heat (approx. 35°C) with around 200 spectators. Uta's depth told after the break, and the coaching staff gained useful data on trialists and academy products. Nothing more, nothing less — a professional start to summer preparations.
Match Events
Key match events between Progresul Pecica and Uta Arad — 3 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Jun 2026