View from the Opposition: What to make of Astra Giurgiu?

Thursday’s opponents at the Stadio Olimpico began their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Astra Wien – but will be hoping to bounce back at the Stadio Olimpico.

In order to learn a little more about the Romanian champions – who knocked out West Ham United to reach the group stage – we spoke to journalist Emanuel Rosu, a contributor to the likes of the BBC and Guardian, about the match.

Astra reached the group stages for the Europa League this season, what was their qualifying route?

“The problems the club faced this summer, with unpaid salaries and an uncertain way to go forward, made Astra lose important players and lots of the attitude behind their league winning season.

“Astra didn't have a chance against FC Copenhagen in the UCL qualifiers but did amazingly well in London and kept West Ham out of Europe. That happened last year as well, but on that occasion Astra was on the up, their enthusiasm was high. This time, it was a win of spirit and hard work from a team lacking much of what made it special last season.”

What expectation is around this Astra team for this competition?

“Simply qualifying is a big bonus for them, so Astra will just enjoy the group stage. They can still cause upsets, but judging by the limited options they have on the bench I'd say qualifying is mission impossible. Astra are still thinking about solving its financial problems as the first order of business. Football is in the background at the moment. The club is unsure of its existence. Even the manager has been unpaid for months, so the atmosphere is not that good around the club.”

Astra seem to have had troubles in the league this season, can you elaborate on the issues?

“Astra lost important players, those who came in to replace them weren't at the same level. The manager, Marius Sumudica, was suspended for betting from an online account and that was a big loss as well.

"Astra was a team that relied heavily on his motivational skills, so with him absent from games and training sessions that was a problem. Add the turmoil around the club and you'll find that going forward was a very hard job at Astra for the past few months.”

What was the transfer window like for Astra?

“They didn't pay any money on transfers, and signed just free agents. The most important name: Cristian Sapunaru, a Romanian international who was part of the starting 11 at Euro 2016. Apart from him, Astra didn't make any spectacular signings, not even by Romania's standards.

“They lost very, very important players in the past year, with seven starting men leaving since January.”

Which players could make an impact against Roma?

“Denis Alibec, Felipe Teixeira and Constantin Budescu are all skilled, surprising, smart and able to damage whatever defence they have in front of them. Apart from them, nobody is really capable of posing a threat.”

What sort of tactical set-up could we see from Astra in this match?

“It will almost surely be a 4-2-3-1, that's the way Astra have mostly played since Sumudica first took charge. They will probably sit behind the ball in numbers and try to work from there.”

How do Astra fans view Roma? And what have they made of the Roma's transfer window?

“Astra have a very small group of fans, they aren't very vocal either, but Romania, as a country, was happy to greet Roma in the Europa League. They are a big club and its an important game for every football fan in the country.”

If you could add one player from Roma to Astra’s squad, who would it be?

“Nainggolan - he'd become best friends with Sumudica from day one!”

What is your score prediction for the game?

“Sorry, but I'm very bad with predictions. I just hope Astra reaches the same level they managed against West Ham, even though it's getting harder and harder for them at the moment.”

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