Universitatea Craiova - KuPS: Can the Finnish side live up to their status as favourites?
On Thursday, August 13, we will see the second leg of the Europa League third qualifying round between Universitatea Craiova and KuPS. The match will kick off at 19:00 CET, and I am offering a bet on it.
- Read also: The visitors’ advantage against the home field factor. Prediction for Shkendija vs Hibernian
Universitatea Craiova - KuPS: Match preview
The first meeting between these teams took place last week and proved to be a competitive and intriguing encounter. Universitatea Craiova took the lead towards the end of the first half, but KuPS equalised midway through the second half. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw.
Last season, Universitatea Craiova won the Romanian league title. They collected 50 points and finished four points ahead of the runners-up, winning their first championship since 1991. However, they were unable to qualify for the Champions League and now have a chance to reach the Europa League.
Finnish side KuPS have won the Finnish championship in each of the last two seasons and are once again challenging for the title. The team are top of the table with 40 points from 19 matches, five points clear of their nearest challengers. They also attempted to qualify for the Champions League, but lost 0-3 on aggregate to Sabah Baku.
Match facts and H2H
- The first match ended in a 1-1 draw.
- KuPS are unbeaten in their last three matches.
- Universitatea Craiova have won just one of their previous five matches.
- This will be the second head-to-head meeting between these teams.
Probable line-ups
- Universitatea Craiova: Popescu; Rus, Stevanovic, Screciu; Mora, Cicaldau, Mekvabishvili, Bancu; Etim, Al Hamlawi, Baiaram
- KuPS: Riihimaki; Puukko, Magassa, Adams, Antwi; Gasc, Jyry, Touray; Luyeye-Lutumba, Moreno Ciorciari, Armah
Prediction
Universitatea Craiova are considered the favourites at home, but this will clearly not be an easy match for them. I am offering a bet on under 3 goals. The odds for this outcome are 1.46.
