FC Voluntari vs ASA Targu Mures Match Recap - Oct 18, 2025

Voluntari and ASA Targu Mureș Trade Blows in Six-Goal Thriller, Both Sides Left Chasing Liga II Aspirations

Under a dusky autumn sky at Stadionul Anghel Iordanescu, FC Voluntari and ASA Targu Mureș delivered a spectacle worthy of Liga II’s mounting tension, splitting six goals in a frantic 3-3 draw that left both teams with much to ponder and, perhaps, more to prove as the race for promotion tightens.

Barely had the opening whistle faded before Voluntari signaled their intent. Roared on by a vocal home crowd still bundled in scarves against the October chill, the hosts carved through ASA Targu Mureș’s lines with clinical urgency. The breakthrough came in the fourth minute, a sequence that began with a clever switch from midfield and ended with Voluntari’s unknown forward guiding a deflected effort beyond a stranded goalkeeper. The euphoria was still echoing around the stands when lighting struck again—a sweeping move down the right, a low cross fizzed into the area, and another Voluntari boot lashed home their second by the 10th minute. Early chaos had turned into a two-goal lead, injecting new life into Voluntari’s promotion challenge and appearing to rattle their rivals.

Yet the pattern of the match would prove anything but predictable. ASA Targu Mureș, outplayed and outpaced in the opening act, restored equilibrium long before halftime. In the 17th minute, they halved the deficit with a moment of individual class—an ASA attacker slipping in behind, holding his nerve, and slotting coolly past the keeper to silence the terraces. A match that threatened to slip away was suddenly back in the balance.

The equalizer arrived shortly after the interval, ushering in one of those Liga II nights where nothing is settled until the final whistle. With 52 minutes gone, Mureș exploited a lapse at the heart of Voluntari’s defense, threading a precise diagonal that set up a simple finish. The tides had turned, and the visitors surged forward in search of more, buoyed by a bench that celebrated as if promotion itself was on the line.

But Voluntari, fifth in the table with ambitions stitched into every attack, summoned a response befitting their campaign so far. The home side reclaimed the lead in the 64th minute—another attacking surge culminating in a tidy finish after a slick combination play around the box. For the third time in the evening, Voluntari’s supporters were on their feet, optimism swelling as three points loomed.

Their resilience, though, met its sternest test as Mureș, refusing to yield, pressed for an equalizer with a relentless tempo. It was in the 77th minute when the dam finally broke—a messy scramble in the area, a loose ball pounced upon, and the net bulged again for 3-3. The celebrations from the visiting bench were as exuberant as they were relieved; the hosts, meanwhile, kicked the turf in frustration, aware that the contest had slipped from their grasp in decisive moments.

For Voluntari, the draw keeps them in the playoff hunt but underscores a recent pattern—strong starts, yet points dropped from winning positions. Today’s three-goal output boosts a record that now reads five wins, three draws, and just a single loss through nine matches. Still, with 18 points in fifth place and ambitions of returning to top-flight football, surrendering a two-goal lead at home will sting, especially as promotion rivals tighten the circle above.

Their recent run has teetered between resolve and inconsistency. The 1-1 draw away to Bihor Oradea earlier this month was marked by discipline, but similar questions linger after a goalless deadlock with Dinamo București and a late collapse at Tunari. Home victories—most notably the 3-2 thriller against CSM Reşiţa—have been built on attacking verve, yet the defensive frailties exposed again today remain an unsolved riddle.

ASA Targu Mureș, meanwhile, arrived with momentum. Their 3-0 dismantling of Gloria Bistriţa last week had raised expectations, even as their campaign has seesawed between emphatic wins and sobering defeats. The visiting side’s fightback here, wresting a point from a position of apparent despair, keeps them firmly in the chase. A side that has traded clean sheets for goal-laden encounters, Mureș showed why they remain one of Liga II’s most unpredictable and dangerous outfits.

There were no red cards or unsporting incidents to mar the contest—a testament to the urgency but also mutual respect that colored the encounter. Instead, both teams relied on ambition and resilience, stretching the imagination of their supporters and their managers’ nerves alike.

Looking ahead, this draw will be dissected in both dressing rooms as an opportunity lost and a test survived. For Voluntari, the challenge remains clear: turn dominant spells into durable leads. For ASA Targu Mureș, today’s comeback may yet prove a psychological boon as they eye the top half of the table, intent on recapturing their best form and pressing upward.

The Anghel Iordanescu faithful departed knowing they had witnessed football at its most volatile—attacking verve, defensive vulnerability, and a narrative that refuses to settle. As autumn deepens and the stakes rise in Liga II, both Voluntari and ASA Targu Mureș have made their intentions clear: the next act of this season’s promotion race will demand even greater drama.