Universitatea Craiova beat Farul 2-0 to close gap on SuperLiga leaders

Universitatea Craiova defeated FC Farul Constanta 2-0 at Ion Oblemenco Stadium in Round 12 of the SuperLiga on October 18, 2026. The match was officiated by Iulian Călin.

Simon Elisor opened the scoring in the 16th minute. This goal took his tally to seven for the season, making him the league's top scorer. Oleksandr Romanchuk added a second goal in the 87th minute, heading in a free kick delivered by Alexandru Cicâldău.

The victory provided three points for coach Filipe Coelho’s team. The result kept Universitatea Craiova in third place in the SuperLiga table, six points behind the leaders. They trail Dinamo and Rapid in the standings.

Farul Constanta, coached by Neluțu Sabău, sit in sixth place in the league. The visitors struggled against their hosts, with captain Ionuț Larie admitting that Craiova dominated all aspects of the first half.

Larie accepted responsibility for the opening goal, stating it was largely his mistake. He described the first half as one of the worst performances of the championship for Farul. Despite the defeat, he acknowledged Elisor as one of the best strikers in Liga 1 and noted that his team still has work to do to perform like a play-off side.

Craiova coach Filipe Coelho started several key players on the bench, including Bancu, Screciu, and Ștefan Baiaram. Baptiste Roux made his SuperLiga debut as a starter for the home side.

Baiaram entered the match in the 57th minute, replacing Luca Băsceanu. He has not scored a goal since August 2026. After the final whistle, fans gathered around him, chanting that he is their idol and expressing their support.

Supporters also sought autographs and photos from coach Filipe Coelho. Nikola Stevanovic and Tudor Băluță were among the players most requested by fans after the victory.

For Farul, 17-year-old Răzvan Marincean started the match for the first time. He had previously scored for the club after coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 loss to Petrolul.