Steaua confident of beating Irish teams

Steaua Bucharest are already counting on making the third qualifying round of the Champions League after they were paired with either Glentoran or Shelbourne.

The two matches between Glentoran and Shelbourne in the first qualifying round will captivate the whole of the island of Ireland.

But Romanian champions Steaua – European Cup winners in 1986 – do not care who wins as they are confident of beating either side in the second of the three hurdles to the group stages.

Steaua owner Gigi Becali said: “The draw is a sign that we’ll have good luck this year and I think that we are 90% qualified for round three.”

Midfielder Sorin Paraschiv agreed, saying: “We got a lucky draw.”