Bulgaria v Romania, 13 June 1996

Score1-0 to Bulgaria
RefereePeter Mikkelsen
CompetitionUEFA European Championship Finals Group B
VenueSt James' Park
Attendance19,107
Kick-off: 4.30pm Romania became the first team to exit Euro 96 following a 1-0 defeat by Bulgaria at St James' Park. While Bulgaria had opened their Group B campaign with a 1-1 draw against Spain, Anghel Iordănescu's team had suffered a 1-0 reverse against France and therefore had no chance of finishing in the top two in the section following this loss. Their hopes were dashed after just three minutes in Newcastle, Hristo Stoichkov scoring his second goal in as many games. Picking up a short pass from Krasimir Balakov, a hugely influential figure throughout, Stoichkov took advantage of a slip by Miodrag Belodedici to dart through a gap in the defence. Free to run at the Romanian defence, he made an extra metre of space with a cute dummy and stabbed the ball past Bogdan Stelea with his left foot. Undone by a moment of magic, Romania refused to crumble. Their efforts were so nearly rewarded on the half-hour, Gheorghe Hagi rolling the ball to Dorinel Munteanu, whose long-range drive bounced down off the bar but was adjudged not to have crossed the line. Even such misfortune failed to quell Romania's rally, though, with Daniel Prodan going particularly close to equalising with a diving header midway through the second half. Even in added time the same player again nearly levelled the scores, his shot shaving a post after a goalmouth scramble. Should that effort have snuck inside the frame of the goal, it would have been harsh on Bulgaria, who had chances of their own after the break, Yordan Lechkov spurning the best of them having been put through by Nasko Sirakov's audacious back-heel.

1  Bulgaria

Manager: Dimitar Penev

0  Romania

Manager: Anghel Iordanescu

Goals:

Hristo Stoichkov 3 G

Goals:

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Borislav Mihailov (captain)
Defender Trifon Ivanov
Defender Tsanko Tsvetanov
Midfielder Krasimir Balakov
Midfielder Radostin Kishishev
Midfielder Yordan Letchkov
Midfielder Zlatko Yankov
Midfielder Ivailo Yordanov
Forward Emil Kostadinov
Forward Luboslav Penev
Forward Hristo Stoichkov (captain)

Starting lineup:

Bogdan Stelea Goalkeeper
Dan Petrescu Defender
Gheorghe Popescu Defender
Daniel Prodan Defender
Gheorghe Hagi Midfielder (captain)
Ionut Lupescu Midfielder
Dorinel Munteanu Midfielder
Tibor Selymes Midfielder

Substitutions:

Daniel Borimirov for Emil Kostadinov 31
Nasko Sirakov for Luboslav Penev 71
Bontcho Genchev for Yordan Letchkov 89

Substitutions:

Viorel Moldovan for Marius Lăcătuş 28
Constantin Gâlcă for Ionut Lupescu 46
Adrian Ilie for Gheorghe Popescu 76

Cards:

Radostin Kishishev 48 Y
Daniel Borimirov 64 Y

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Dimitar Popov
Goalkeeper Zdravko Zdravkov
Defender Gosho Ginchev
Defender Emil Kremenliev
Midfielder Daniel Borimirov
Midfielder Bontcho Genchev
Midfielder Ilian Kiriakov
Forward Georgi Donkov
Forward Nasko Sirakov
Forward Ivo Georgiev

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Florin Prunea
Goalkeeper Florin Tene
Defender Anton Dobos
Defender Iulian Filipescu
Defender Gheorghe Mihali
Midfielder Constantin Gâlcă
Midfielder Ioan Sabău
Midfielder Ovidiu Stîngă
Forward Adrian Ilie
Forward Viorel Moldovan
Forward Ion Vlădoiu

1  Bulgaria

Manager: Dimitar Penev

Goals:

Hristo Stoichkov 3 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Borislav Mihailov (captain)
Defender Trifon Ivanov
Defender Tsanko Tsvetanov
Midfielder Krasimir Balakov
Midfielder Radostin Kishishev
Midfielder Yordan Letchkov
Midfielder Zlatko Yankov
Midfielder Ivailo Yordanov
Forward Emil Kostadinov
Forward Luboslav Penev
Forward Hristo Stoichkov (captain)

Substitutions:

Daniel Borimirov for Emil Kostadinov 31
Nasko Sirakov for Luboslav Penev 71
Bontcho Genchev for Yordan Letchkov 89

Cards:

Radostin Kishishev 48 Y
Daniel Borimirov 64 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Dimitar Popov
Goalkeeper Zdravko Zdravkov
Defender Gosho Ginchev
Defender Emil Kremenliev
Midfielder Daniel Borimirov
Midfielder Bontcho Genchev
Midfielder Ilian Kiriakov
Forward Georgi Donkov
Forward Nasko Sirakov
Forward Ivo Georgiev

0  Romania

Manager: Anghel Iordanescu

Goals:

Starting lineup:

Bogdan Stelea Goalkeeper
Dan Petrescu Defender
Gheorghe Popescu Defender
Daniel Prodan Defender
Gheorghe Hagi Midfielder (captain)
Ionut Lupescu Midfielder
Dorinel Munteanu Midfielder
Tibor Selymes Midfielder

Substitutions:

Viorel Moldovan for Marius Lăcătuş 28
Constantin Gâlcă for Ionut Lupescu 46
Adrian Ilie for Gheorghe Popescu 76

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Florin Prunea
Goalkeeper Florin Tene
Defender Anton Dobos
Defender Iulian Filipescu
Defender Gheorghe Mihali
Midfielder Constantin Gâlcă
Midfielder Ioan Sabău
Midfielder Ovidiu Stîngă
Forward Adrian Ilie
Forward Viorel Moldovan
Forward Ion Vlădoiu