ORADEA, Romania (Interstat) — FC Bihor scored twice inside the opening 23 minutes and defeated CSM Resita 2-0 on Thursday in a competition match. Nicu Modan opened the scoring in the 16th minute, and Alexandru Bota doubled the lead in the 23rd. CSM Resita could not answer, and FC Bihor protected the two-goal advantage through the second half. The home side led at halftime and maintained its advantage after the interval. The visitors never scored.

The decisive stretch came early. Modan struck in the 16th minute to put FC Bihor ahead, and Bota added the second in the 23rd. Bota finished with one goal while playing 85 minutes, and Modan finished with one goal in 64 minutes. The early goals gave FC Bihor control, and CSM Resita was unable to pull a goal back and finished with zero goals. CSM Resita did not score in the second half.

CSM Resita’s season record in this competition is now 1 win and 2 losses. Its season record across all competitions is also 1 win and 2 losses. FC Bihor’s season record in this competition is now 3 wins and no losses, and its season record across all competitions is also 3 wins and no losses.

FC Bihor entered after a 2-0 win at CSC Dumbravita and a 1-0 home win over FC Bacau. CSM Resita had beaten CSM Slatina 3-1 after losing 2-0 at home to Cetatea Suceava. CSM Resita’s previous competition results included a home loss and a home win. The visitors had alternated results in their previous two competition matches, while FC Bihor carried a two-match winning run into the game. FC Bihor’s run continued.

Yellow cards were frequent. FC Bihor’s Jermol N. was booked in the 40th minute. In the 45th, CSM Resita’s Lenghel E. and FC Bihor’s Tescan D. were cautioned. CSM Resita’s Bosnaeg M. was booked in the 52nd, and FC Bihor’s Antoche M. followed in the 53rd. FC Bihor’s Cocian A. was cautioned in the 90th, and Popa A. was booked in the 90+2nd minute. The first half included three yellow cards, and the second half included four.

Substitutions began for CSM Resita at halftime with Lenghel E. and Visic S. in the 46th minute. Bloj E. and Besca D. were involved in substitutions in the 60th. FC Bihor had Modan N. in a 64th-minute substitution and Tescan D. in the 70th. Barbut C. was part of a CSM Resita substitution in the 81st. FC Bihor had Cruceru A. and Bota A. in substitutions in the 85th. The changes did not produce a goal. The substitutions continued through the closing minutes.

FC Bihor’s early pressure set the tone. The home side took the lead when Modan finished in the 16th minute, then added a second when Bota scored in the 23rd. CSM Resita tried to respond after the break, but the visitors could not find a goal. The second half was scoreless, and FC Bihor’s lead held through the final whistle as the home side kept CSM Resita off the scoreboard. FC Bihor managed the closing stages without conceding. The final minutes passed without another goal.

The match included seven yellow cards, five of them for FC Bihor and two for CSM Resita. FC Bihor accounted for five of the seven bookings, and CSM Resita had two. The bookings added to a physical contest. The caution count reflected the match’s physical tone.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of FC Bihor 2, CSM Resita 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected FC Bihor with an 83.5 percent probability to win. FC Bihor had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 2 went over the over-under line of 2.5.