Slatina vs CSM Ramnicu Valcea

Slatina, under new head coach Adrian Dulcea — himself a Vâlcea native — took the lead in the 20th minute. New arrival Răzvan Matiș marked his first appearance in a Slatina shirt with a goal, finishing from close range to put the hosts ahead (Gazeta Nouă).

SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea responded swiftly. In the 29th minute, left-back Alexandru Mitulețu rose to meet a cross and powered a header home from six metres out, restoring parity (Impact Real).

The match remained 1-1 through the second half, with both coaches making extensive substitutions. Dulcea used his entire available squad and tested two different tactical systems across the 90 minutes (Gazeta Nouă). On the visitors' side, Constantin Schumacher also rotated his full squad, fielding five junior players in the final quarter-hour (Impact Real).

Mitulețu's 29th-minute equaliser, coming just nine minutes after Slatina's opener, prevented the hosts from building a lead to protect in the second half. Once parity was restored, both sides prioritised fitness and tactical experimentation over chasing a winner. The pre-season context — neither team had played a competitive fixture since May — meant the match was always more about preparation than result.

Răzvan Matiș (Slatina) — The new signing needed just 20 minutes to open his account for CSM Slatina, scoring on debut. His movement and composure in front of goal offered an early return on the club's investment in the transfer window.

Alexandru Mitulețu (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea) — The left-back delivered the equaliser with a well-timed header from six metres. Beyond the goal, he was part of a backline that limited Slatina to a single strike despite the hosts' early momentum.

Adrian Dulcea (Slatina head coach) — The Vâlcean coach, taking charge of his first friendly for Slatina, used the runout to rotate the entire squad and trial two formations, with several new signings still integrating.

The provider payload registered 1-1 at both half-time and full-time, confirming a match that was settled inside the opening half-hour and then played out at pre-season intensity. No second-half goals were scored despite multiple substitutions — a pattern consistent with two teams prioritising fitness rather than pushing for a winning goal at this early stage of preparation. The absence of yellow or red cards also reinforces the friendly nature of the encounter.

Both sides are building towards the 2026-27 Liga 2 season, which will be their second-tier campaign. For Slatina, this was the opening match of their pre-season programme under Dulcea. For SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea — newly promoted to Liga 2 — this was their second friendly of the summer, following a 4-1 win against junior side Viitorul Budești.

Next friendlies:

• CSM Slatina: vs Popești-Leordeni, 4 July 2026 (Stadionul "1 Mai")
• SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea: vs CS Drobeta Turnu Severin, 4 July 2026

A predictable pre-season stalemate where the scoreline mattered less than the minutes logged and systems tested. Matiș's debut goal is a positive sign for Slatina; Mitulețu's header showed Vâlcea can respond to setbacks. The real assessments will come once both sides face sterner tests in July.