 He also received his first red card from Liga I against Oţelul, ending a 182 matches run without being sent-off.On 8 May, Niculae scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Voinţa Sibiu.On 23 May, Niculae captained Dinamo in the Romanian Cup final against Rapid Bucureşti, until he was substituted in the 81st minute.