Rising from the Smoke: FCSB Humble Rapid with a Four-Goal Derby Comeback
A second-half blitz turns the Bucharest derby on its head and hands Reghecampf the statement win of his third spell
Competition: Romanian Superliga – Round 13
Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026 – 21:00
Venue: Arena Națională, Bucharest
Result: FCSB 4 – 1 Rapid București
Goals: Stojilkovic (11) for Rapid | Muhar (58), Boutoutaou (69, 81), João Paulo (79) for FCSB
Rapid arrived as second-placed contenders, unbeaten in seven, winners of five straight, and nine points clear of a rival sitting sixth. They left carrying the heaviest night of their season. In a derby that opened with pyrotechnics and was halted after just six minutes by thick smoke, it was Rapid who lit the fuse first, and Rapid who were extinguished once FCSB decided to write the second half in different ink.
How the Match Unfolded
Filip Stojilkovic stunned the hosts in the 11th minute with an elegant finish through the haze, handing Daniel Pancu’s side exactly the advantage they came for. The script looked familiar: Rapid compact and disciplined, FCSB searching for an identity, so much so that Reghecampf withdrew striker Garita in the 42nd minute, an early admission that plan A had failed.
The second half was another story. Karlo Muhar levelled on 58 minutes, and the dam broke. Aymen Boutoutaou put FCSB ahead on 69, João Paulo extended the lead on 79, and two minutes later the Algerian struck again to seal a four-goal reply. Four goals in 23 minutes, and a title challenger reduced to spectators on their own derby stage.
Analysis
This was not merely a reversal of the scoreline but a reversal of rhythm. Rapid, superior in organisation before the break, could not absorb the first blow. Their back line, anchored by Pașcanu and Kramer, was exposed in transition, while the Grameni–Doumba midfield pairing lost control of the spaces between the lines, precisely the zone where Boutoutaou spent his entire evening.
Boutoutaou is the headline. Signed from Sochaux and billed on arrival as a Hazard-style forward able to operate across all three positions behind the striker, he delivered in the derby the first real proof that the club’s bold claims were more than boardroom rhetoric.
As for Reghecampf, he has passed the first genuine test of his third tenure on the FCSB bench. Three consecutive wins since his return, the latest against the runners-up, are enough to put FCSB back in the conversation, even if the road to the summit remains long.
Table Implications
FCSB climb to 21 points, cutting the gap to Rapid to six. Rapid stay on 27, missing the chance to pressure leaders Dinamo and seeing their impressive run snapped at the worst possible moment, with Csikszereda visiting on 30 October.
Rapid came to prove they are title material and left questioning their nerve on the big nights. FCSB came wounded and mid-table and left having recovered some of their lost aura. In the Bucharest derby, the standings before kick-off count for little; what matters is who holds their nerve when the second half catches fire.
Dr. Talal Othman, General Manager — GCC Sport
