Romania’s coach Anghel Iordanescu has decided to start tonight match against France with an offensive 4-3-3 line-up, which shows that the “General” plans more than a defensive game against the home team. He said earlier this week that he planned to attack France and take advantage of the vulnerabilities in their defense.

Young striker Florin Andone, 23, who plays for Spanish second league club Cordoba, will be Romania’s spearhead. He will be helped by experienced forward Bogdan Stancu (Gençlerbirliği), who will play left winger/second striker, and by Steaua Bucharest’s right winger Adrian Popa.

Steaua’s midfielder Nicolae Stanciu is expected to coordinate the game and supply the three in front with useful passes, while defensive midfielders Mihai Pintilii (Steaua) and Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), will have the difficult task to break France’s attackes before they become dangerous.

However, when the French attackers will get past the midfield they will be met by a defensive line coordinated by Romania’s captain Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), who’s also considered the team’s most valuable player. Dragos Grigore, who plays for Al-Sailiya in Qatar, is Chiriches’ partner in the center of the Romanian defense.

Experienced left back Razvan Rat (Rayo Vallecano) and Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Târgu Jiu) will secure the flanks.

When the defensive line fails, it will be up to goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina) to keep the ball from going into the net.

France’s Didier Deschamps will start with Hugo Lloris as goalkeeper, Patrice Evra, Laurent Koscielny, Adil Rami, and Bacary Sagna in the back, Blaise Matuidi, N’Golo Kante, and star Paul Pogba in the middle, and Dimitri Payet, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud in front.

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editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Echipa națională de fotbal a României on Facebook)