CSM Ramnicu Valcea vs CSA Steaua Bucureşti

SCM began the brighter of the two sides, pressing high and forcing Steaua into errors from the opening whistle. The breakthrough arrived in the 13th minute when captain Alexandru Dandea rose highest to meet a well-delivered free kick from the left flank, nodding home from six yards to make it 1-0.

The hosts doubled their lead just eight minutes later. A flowing move down the right was finished by Eric Nistor, who planted a pinpoint header past Steaua goalkeeper Mate Simon for 2-0 in the 21st minute.

Steaua struggled to build any sustained possession, and Vâlcea made them pay again before the break. In the 34th minute, Vasile Constantin recovered the ball in midfield and slipped a pass to Dragoș Huiban — a former Steaua player — who took a touch and lashed a left-footed strike from 15 metres into the corner. 3-0 at half-time.

Schumacher rang the changes after the interval, replacing almost the entire outfield XI to give minutes to his squad players. Steaua enjoyed more of the ball in the second half but created little of note, with the Vâlcea defence — rebuilt with younger personnel — standing firm.

The final blow came deep into stoppage time. Goalkeeper Cristian Hodor collected a Steaua corner and launched a quick throw to Petre Doman, who fed Darius Grigore on the halfway line. Grigore outpaced his marker and slotted coolly past the advancing Simon to seal a 4-0 victory in the 90+5th minute.

Dandea's 13th-minute opener settled any early nerves and forced Steaua onto the back foot. The military side had no answer to Vâlcea's intensity in the first half-hour, and the quickfire double inside 21 minutes effectively ended the contest before the interval. Steaua coach Daniel Oprița later changed shape and personnel, but the damage was done.

Alexandru Dandea (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea) — The captain led by example, opening the scoring with a well-timed header and marshalling a defence that kept a clean sheet against a Liga 2 rival. An authoritative presence throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch.

Dragoș Huiban (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea) — The former Steaua attacker made a point against his old club, scoring a superb third goal from distance and linking play effectively between the lines before being substituted at half-time.

Darius Grigore (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea) — Introduced after the break, the young forward capped a lively second-half cameo with a confident solo goal in stoppage time, demonstrating the depth Schumacher has at his disposal.

Cristian Hodor (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea) — The substitute goalkeeper played only 25 minutes but contributed directly to the fourth goal with a quick-thinking distribution that started the counter-attack. He also dealt comfortably with Steaua's limited second-half threats.

The provider data shows a 4-0 final scoreline after a 3-0 half-time lead, but the raw numbers only tell part of the story. Per local reports, Vâlcea's 60% possession reflected controlled dominance rather than sterile passing; the home side created a series of high-quality chances, particularly in the first period when the starting XI pressed aggressively and moved the ball quickly through midfield. Steaua, by contrast, managed only sporadic attacks and failed to register a meaningful shot on target across the 90 minutes. The clean sheet was Vâlcea's first in six pre-season friendlies, a sign that the defensive organisation is sharpening ahead of the Liga 2 campaign.

SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea — who received their official Liga 2 certification on 16 July — have now played six pre-season friendlies, winning four, drawing two and losing none. The run includes a 4-1 win over Viitorul Budești, a 1-1 draw with CSM Slatina, a 3-2 victory over Luceafărul Drobeta, a 1-1 and 0-2 double-header against FC Argeș, and a 1-1 draw with CS Afumați. They close their preparations on 25 July against CSC 1599 Șelimbăr. The Liga 2 fixture list will be drawn on 22 July, with the season starting on 1 August.

For Steaua, this was a sobering result after a mixed pre-season. Daniel Oprița's side had beaten CSL Ștefănești (2-1), drawn with Concordia Chiajna (2-2), lost 4-5 to CS Afumați, and beaten CS Tunari (2-0) in previous friendlies. They face one more test — against CSM Slatina on 25 July — before the Liga 2 campaign begins.

A comprehensive, professional performance from a Vâlcea side that looks well-prepared for its first season in the second tier. The depth of Schumacher's squad — two entirely different XIs in each half, neither conceding — is an encouraging sign for the gruelling Liga 2 schedule. Steaua, by contrast, showed little of the coherence needed to compete at the top end of the table, and Oprița will need to find solutions quickly with the season just two weeks away.