Created on 15-09-2008 at 00:00 AM
On the eve of this term’s Champions League campaign, fcb.de has checked the form of Bayern’s Group F opponents Steaua Bucharest, Olympique Lyon and AC Fiorentina.
Twenty-three times Romanian champions Steaua warmed up nicely for Wednesday’s Champions League opener at home to the German double winners with a convincing 4-1 win away to Farul Constanta. Seven games into the domestic league season, the Bucharest giants lie second in the standings on 16 points, two behind early leaders AFC Unirea Urziceni.
The men from the Romanian capital surged into the lead on the half-hour with two goals in as many minutes from Antonio Semedo and Bogdan Stancu. Constanta right-back Cosmin Bacila was then dismissed on 35 minutes, allowing Steaua to ease back and set the pace at will, before a furious last few minutes featuring goals from Pantelis Kapetanos (89) and a stoppage-time Ianos Szekely penalty, with Dragan Gosici netting a consolation for the home team in the 90th minute.
Steaua captain Mirel Radoi failed to feature in the line-up sent out by coach Marius Lacatus. Local press reports suggest the influential midfielder is likely to miss the midweek Bayern clash with a hamstring injury. Of the players who did appear, Munich will have taken special note of U-21 international Stancu, a pacy and technically able striker now boasting a tally of five goals this term.