Talnar set for Gala clash

Posted Thursday, November 05, 2009 by PA

Dinamo Bucharest meet Galatasaray for the second time in a fortnight in Europa League on Thursday night but will do so with a new man at the helm following Ion Marin's departure in the wake of their 4-1 humbling in Istanbul.

Dinamo slumped to their second Group F loss in succession last time out after a brace by Shabani Nonda and further strikes by Harry Kewell and Elano secured victory for Frank Rijkaard's Turkish side.

Caretaker coach Marin - who himself stepped up to replace Dario Bonetti when he was dismissed prior to Matchday Three - quit the Dinamo hotseat to take a job in Saudi Arabia the day after the defeat by Galatasaray, leaving Cornel Talnar to become the latest man to preside over what has been a fractured and unsettled European campaign.

The 52-year-old Talnar spent eight years at Dinamo as a player between 1977 and 1985 and has been brought in for his third spell as interim coach following previous stints in 1996-97 and 2007-08.

Talnar kicked off his latest spell at the helm with a 1-1 draw against Gloria Bistrita in Romania's domestic Liga 1, while a 3-1 win against Poli Iasi at the weekend left Dinamo sixth in the standings but just one point off the league's summit.

The pressure is on ahead of Thursday night's Europa League encounter, however, with a win for Gala combined with victory for Panathinaikos over Sturm Graz in the night's other Group F encounter set to effectively bring an end to Dinamo's chances of progressing to the last 32.

Dinamo's chances of victory have increased with the news Galatasaray striker Milan Baros is to miss Thursday night's match - and the remainder of the group stage - after breaking two metatarsal bones in his left foot during his side's 3-1 defeat to Fenerbahce late last month.

Group F leaders Galatasaray are defending a nine-game unbeaten run in Europe this season which sees them a point clear of Pana at the summit.

Domestic form has been a little less assured for Rijkaard's men, however, with just two wins in five seeing them fall three points behind Super Lig leaders Fener.

The historical statistics do not make happy reading for Gala fans either, with the club having failed to register a victory in five European games in Romania - four of which ended in defeat.

Conversely, Dinamo are unbeaten in five European home games against Turkish opposition.