Our women’s team struggled to find their rhythm in their opening Superliga match, as two easily avoidable defensive mistakes led to goals during a disastrous first ten minutes. Over the next twenty minutes, however, we not only erased the deficit but also turned the match firmly in our favour.

Our women’s team struggled to find their rhythm in their opening Superliga match, as two easily avoidable defensive mistakes led to goals during a disastrous first ten minutes. Over the next twenty minutes, however, we not only erased the deficit but also turned the match firmly in our favour.

Péter Kollár’s side endured a nightmare start to their first league match. In the third minute, Teodora Nisipeanu headed a cross from the left into our net from close range. Seven minutes later, Ioana Bălăceanu finished from 11 metres at the end of a counter-attack in which the hosts had a numerical advantage, doubling Gloria’s lead (2–0).

After conceding twice in quick succession, we gradually regained our composure and took control of the match. In the 23rd minute, Andrea Herczeg dribbled her way into a shooting position before finding the far corner with a low, bouncing effort from 14 metres (2–1). Three minutes later, Jehona Shala struck a first-time shot from 16 metres, but Vivian Biliou produced an excellent save.

The home goalkeeper was powerless in the 28th minute: Shala once again beat her marker before calmly finishing into the far corner from inside the six-yard box (2–2). Seven minutes later, we took the lead. Anna Ezer controlled a cross from a free kick inside the penalty area, and after Biliou came off her line at the wrong moment, our player found herself in front of an empty net and made no mistake (2–3).

We made our lead more comfortable before the interval. In the 43rd minute, the poorly positioned Biliou failed to deal with Boglárka Fülöp’s long-range strike, allowing us to head into the dressing room with a two-goal advantage (2–4).

The second half produced no further goals, although we could have extended our lead in the 65th minute. Andrea Herczeg was unable to convert the penalty awarded after Shala had been brought down. Despite the missed spot kick, we comfortably protected our advantage in the closing stages and opened the 2026–2027 league season with a two-goal victory.

Head coach Kollár Péter said the match proved to be every bit as difficult as expected, with the team needing time to adjust to the pressure of their first competitive fixture of the season.

– This was a proper competitive match, and by the time we managed to shake off the pressure, the scoreboard already read 2–0. As I have said before, these mistakes can still happen. We need another two or three league matches before we fully gel as a team – the head coach explained.

Kollár nevertheless highlighted the team’s response, determination to win and energy as encouraging signs.

– The girls did everything they could to win, and our margin of victory could have been even greater in the second half, when they also played with tactical maturity. I thank them for this excellent start to the season. It is wonderful to see how strongly they are coming together as a team!

Women’s Football Superliga, regular season, Matchday 1
Gloria Bistrița–FK Csíkszereda 2–4 (2–4).
Gloria Sports Complex, Bistrița.
Referee: Raul Chorean.
Goalscorers: Teodora Nisipeanu (3), Ioana Bălăceanu (10); Andrea Herczeg (23), Jehona Shala (28), Anna Ezer (35), Boglárka Fülöp (43).
Yellow cards: Alesia Dincă-Vuia (58), Ioana Nicoară (65), Maria Ciolacu (72), Ioana Bortan (77); Anna Ezer (30), Tereza Bednárová (31), Antria Efstratiou (34), Panna Zán-Fábián (89).

Gloria Bistrița: Vivian Biliou – Ioana Sighearțau (Alesia Dincă-Vuia, 46), Ioana Bortan, Adina Giurgiu, Alexandra Boboc, Jouli Kara, Maria Ciolacu (c), Bianca Banciu (Natalia Muntean, 69), Shaira Pera (Victoria Rubanovici, 46), Ioana Bălăceanu, Teodora Nisipeanu (Maria Stamate, 46).

FK Csíkszereda: Bettina Böröcz – Antria Efstratiou (Dorina Tănase, 55), Anita Antal, Anna Ezer (Flóra Katona, 55), Aranka Orbán (Csilla Balázs, 43), Annabelle Natsi Nombot, Boglárka Fülöp (Noémi Vincze, 55), Pinja Eklund, Tereza Bednárová, Jehona Shala, Andrea Herczeg (c) (Panna Zán-Fábián, 73). Head coach: Péter Kollár.

Our women’s team will next take to the field on the international stage. On Wednesday, 26 August, at 8.30 p.m. Romanian time, they will face 20-time Icelandic champions Breiðablik at Kópavogsvöllur in Kópavogur in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup first qualifying round. Péter Kollár’s side will aim to give a respectable account of themselves against the record Icelandic champions, who possess considerable international experience, and secure a result that will keep the tie alive ahead of the return leg in Csíkszereda on 2 September.

R. A.