Farul Constanta vs Oţelul

The match took place on one of the secondary pitches at the Academia Hagi complex, behind closed doors relative to the main stadium. Both managers used the game primarily to build fitness and test combinations, with Ioan Ovidiu Sabău starting a strong Farul XI featuring Denis Alibec up front, while Stjepan Tomas fielded a mix of established players and new arrivals for Oțelul.

According to Farul's official match report, the game "offered many very good moments, with important chances at both goals," and notably "both teams hit the crossbar once in the first half." No further detail on the specific chances or the players involved was released.

Sabău made wholesale changes from the 46th minute onward, eventually rotating through his entire available squad — including giving minutes to younger players. Tomas followed a similar pattern, making his first changes around the hour mark.

There was no single decisive moment in a match defined by its evenness. The goalless scoreline at half-time — with both sides having hit the woodwork — set the pattern. With both managers prioritising rotation over result in the second half, the structural changes disrupted any attacking rhythm, and the 0-0 stood.

Denis Alibec (Farul Constanța) — The experienced striker started and led the line for the first 65 minutes, the focal point of Farul's build-up play before being replaced by Constantinescu.

Ionuț Larie (Farul Constanța) — The centre-back started and was substituted early (40th minute) by Dican, likely a planned shorter stint to manage his pre-season workload.

Stjepan Tomas' new arrivals (Oțelul Galați) — The Oțelul boss gave first friendly minutes to several summer signings: Sylla and Christopoulos started, while Contra, Lungu, J. Paulino, and junior Bălănică entered later. Their integration into the system is the key takeaway for the Galați side.

No official player of the match was named for this friendly.

The 0-0 scoreline and the reported "chances at both goals" with woodwork struck once per side suggest an evenly contested friendly with no clear xG advantage for either team. The key statistic for both managers, however, was minutes logged: Sabău used 21 players, Tomas used 19. In pre-season friendlies, squad rotation volume often matters more than the scoreline — and by that metric, both coaches accomplished their primary objective.

For Farul Constanța, this was one of their key pre-season tests. They had previously drawn 1-1 with Bulgarian side Fratria in an earlier behind-closed-doors workout. Their next test comes on Wednesday 8 July against Bulgarian top-flight side Cherno More Varna, again at the Academia Hagi.

Oțelul Galați continue their preparation with a schedule that has not been fully announced. The friendly provided vital integration time for their summer recruits, particularly in defence where Sylla and Christopoulos started together.

The 2026-27 SuperLiga season kicks off on 17-19 July. Farul open their campaign away at Universitatea Cluj on 19 July, while Oțelul host CFR Cluj at home on 18 July. Both matches will be broadcast live on Digi Sport 1.

A functional goalless draw that told both managers more about fitness levels and squad depth than about tactical superiority. Pre-season friendlies between two SuperLiga sides rarely produce fireworks, and this one followed the script. The real verdict comes in two weeks when the league starts for real.

Lineups:

Farul Constanța (coach Ioan Ovidiu Sabău): Munteanu (46' Buzbichi) — Sîrbu (65' Maftei), Duțu (85' Sîrbu), Larie (40' Dican), Țicu (65' Rîpeanu) — Njike (65' Banu), Vînă (46' N. Popescu) — Ișfan (46' Cojocaru), Sylvestre (65' Radaslavescu), Sima (46' Tănasă) — Alibec (65' Constantinescu).

Oțelul Galați (coach Stjepan Tomas): Dur-Bozoancă (46' M. Contra) — Habib (61' Zhelev), Lopes, Christopoulos, Kazu (84' Olteanu) — Bordun (61' Neicu), N. Pedro, Ciobanu (61' Andrezinho) — Lameira (84' Aftene), Campos (84' Bălănică), Fernandes (40' Pedro). Subs not used: M. Contra, Paharnicu, Cojoc, Frunză, Rotaru.

Referees: Claudiu Marcu — Alexandru Filip, Cosmin Teodor (all from Constanța). Reserve: Andrei Stoenciu.