Superb Steaua overwhelm Lens

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 Iacob 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 Iacob 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 Iacob's pass and curling a superb strike past goalkeeper Charles Itandje 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 Ivorian 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.