superb steaua overwhelm lens published: friday 21 october 2005, 0.57cet fc steaua bucuresti 4-0 rc lens nicolae dica (2), victoras ıacob and dorin goian (pictured) scored as steaua shone in the capital.
fc steaua bucuresti carried their superb domestic form into the uefa cup as they overwhelmed ten-man rc lens in the romanian capital.
dica class steaua showed why they are unbeaten and leading the romanian first division after nine games by plundering all four goals in the opening 63 minutes. nicolae dica was steaua's tormentor-in-chief, scoring in either half after victoras ıacob and dorin goian had each found the net with a shade over 15 minutes gone. lens' miserable evening was capped when striker aruna dindane was sent off for two bookable offences on 79 minutes.
goian opener steaua took the lead in the 13th minute when ıacob headed mihai nesu's cross into the top left-hand corner. goian doubled the advantage three minutes later, the defender sweeping the ball in from close range following gabriel bostina's accurate corner from the right. lens attempted to stage a recovery as seydou keita shot wide from the edge of the penalty area, before alou diarra's effort was blocked by defender sorin ghionea.
advantage doubled things got worse for the french outfit two minutes before the break when steaua put the game beyond their reach by registering a third, dica collecting ıacob's pass and curling a superb strike past goalkeeper charles ıtandje and into the bottom right-hand corner. nesu threatened to pile the agony on lens with a fourth goal seven minutes into the second half, but nicolas gillet did well to block the midfield player's shot.
dindane dismissed dica's second goal of the night arrived on 63 minutes when the striker rifled a brilliant right-footed shot high into the net from outside the penalty area. with heads already down, lens were reduced to ten men when ıvorian forward aruna felled george ogararu to again earn the wrath of referee athanassios briakos, who had booked him 14 minutes earlier for hauling down nesu.