Metalul Buzău vs Ştefăneşti

The exact minute marks for each goal were not recorded — a common occurrence in closed-door pre-season friendlies — but the timeline confirms Metalul struck four times through four different goalscorers.

Valentin Robu opened the scoring for the home side, followed by Geani Crețu, one of several new faces in Stan's squad. Sebastian Bran and Adrian Moldovan added further goals after the break to put the result beyond doubt. For Ștefănești, Remus Bobocea and Andrei Florescu registered the visitors' replies.

The half-time score of 2-0 suggests Metalul's early intensity decided the contest before the interval.

Metalul's second goal — Crețu's strike — gave the hosts a two-goal cushion that forced Ștefănești onto the front foot before half-time. That early control allowed Stan to rotate freely through his 23-man squad across the 90 minutes without ever surrendering the lead.

Valentin Robu (Metalul Buzău) — The forward opened the scoring and set the tone for a dominant home display. His movement caused problems for the Ștefănești defence from the first whistle.

Geani Crețu (Metalul Buzău) — A new arrival in Buzău this summer, Crețu marked his first appearance with a goal. The midfielder adds depth to Stan's options in the centre of the park.

Sebastian Bran (Metalul Buzău) — Another debutant goalscorer. Bran, also a new signing, demonstrated his finishing ability.

Remus Bobocea (Ștefănești) — The forward pulled one back for the visitors and remained a threat throughout.

Player of the Match: Valentin Robu (Metalul Buzău) — opened the scoring and led the line effectively.

The 4-2 scoreline reflects the gap in preparation between the two sides. Metalul had been in training since 8 June — one of the earliest reunions in Liga 2 — while Ștefănești gathered later and had already played one friendly (a 1-2 loss to Steaua on 20 June). The home team's sharpness told in the first half, where they built a 2-0 lead that the visitors could not fully erase despite two second-half goals.

Stan's ability to use 23 players underlines the experimental nature of the fixture. The six-goal total also confirmed a more open contest than the first-half scoreline suggested.

Metalul Buzău kick off their pre-season campaign with a confidence-boosting win. They continue their build-up with friendlies against FC Bacău (3 or 4 July), FC Voluntari (10 July) and Dunărea Călărași (11 July) before departing for a training camp in Bansko, Bulgaria (13–24 July), where they will face CSM Slatina among other opponents. The Liga 2 season starts on 1 August.

For CSL Ștefăneștii de Jos — who earned promotion from Liga 3 to reach the second tier for the first time in their history — this was the second pre-season test. They head into a training camp (1–10 July) and will face Dinamo București on 11 July before their Liga 2 debut in August.

A pre-season friendly that told both coaches what they needed: Metalul's sharpness from an early reunion and four different scorers suggest depth in attack, while Ștefănești showed character to pull two goals back against a more experienced Liga 2 opponent. The margins will tighten before the real business starts on 1 August.

"Chiar dacă rezultatul nu a fost cel dorit, meciul a oferit minute importante și concluzii utile pentru staff-ul tehnic. Continuăm să muncim și să pregătim fiecare detaliu, cu obiectivul de a ajunge în cea mai bună formă la startul noului sezon." — CSL Ștefăneștii de Jos statement, via Liga2.prosport.ro (27 June 2026)