The winner secures a place in the last 16!
Final spurt in the Europa League. This week sees the last matchday in the new league format. We take a look at the clash between FCSB and Manchester United, where the bookmakers’ tip favors the guests from the home of football. Both teams have so far impressed on the international stage and have the chance to qualify directly for the last 16.
The hosts are surprisingly doing well in the Europa League. The fact that the Romanians are so far up in the standings was not necessarily to be expected. A home win in the eighth game of the league phase would secure the blue-reds a place among the top eight teams. In the encounter between FCSB and Manchester United, the prognosis for the home side is rewarded with odds of 5.50.
The Red Devils go into this game as favorites. However, this is only justified by their performance in international competition, because in the domestic Premier League, things are not going as well. Re-qualification is currently rather doubtful. In the FCSB v Manchester United game, odds of 1.63 are being paid for bets on the British.
FCSB – Statistics & current form
FCSB is a club that most people will still know under its old name. The Romanians were often represented in international competitions as Steaua Bucharest. At national level, the blue-reds won 27 league titles. After an eight-year absence, they returned to top spot in the Superliga last season.
The hosts are also doing well this season, collecting eleven wins and eight draws from the first 23 games. This means that Bucharest has a total of 41 points and is in second place on the table, level on points with Cluj. Other teams are close behind the top two, so it looks like it will be a thrilling championship.
FCSB are having a strong league season
In the Europa League, the team of head coach Elias Charalampous is doing well. They have won four and drawn two of their first seven games. With 14 points, the Romanians are in eighth place, which would mean a place in the last sixteen at the end of the season. Progress is guaranteed in any case. To defend their position, they need nothing less than three points against Manchester United, otherwise some teams will surely overtake them.
The hosts have not been beaten in four games in international competition. The only defeat so far came in Scotland, when Charalampous’s side lost 4-0 to Glasgow Rangers. The most recent wins came against Qarabag Agdam (3-2) and against Midtjylland (2-0).
The home defense is stable
The Romanians’ strength lies in defense. They have only had to save the ball from their own goal seven times. That is the sixth-best value of the 36 teams. In contrast, the offense is stingy with goals. We only have ten successes on the hosts’ account.
The blue-and-reds often impress in front of their own fans. They have only lost one of the last twelve competitive matches at the Arena Nationala. A win is needed against the Red Devils to secure a place in the last sixteen. But the bookmakers are pessimistic.
Manchester United – Statistics & current form
Manchester United has a long list of successes. At the national level, the club has celebrated 20 league titles and 13 cup victories, among other honors. Internationally, the 2008 Champions League victory over Chelsea FC was one of many highlights.
This season, however, the Red Devils have not had much success in the Premier League. They have only managed eight wins and five draws, putting them in twelfth place in the league table with 29 points. They are already a whopping eleven points behind a place in an international competition.
Manchester United are yet to lose in the Europa League
Things are going all the better in the Europa League. The Red and Whites have a clean slate here. Four wins and three draws have so far earned the English team 15 points.
This currently puts them in fourth place in the standings. Only Lazio, Frankfurt and Bilbao are ahead of the men from the island. This means that the chances of qualifying directly for the last sixteen are good.
However, at least a draw is needed in Romania for this to happen, otherwise there is a very high probability that the chasing pack will overtake Manchester. But the last few international appearances have been convincing. After three draws, the last four encounters have all been won. Most recently, there was a 2-1 victory against Glasgow Rangers last week, putting United in this excellent starting position.
Powerful Red Devils offense
The British have the fourth-best offense in the competition. The guests have scored 14 goals so far, or two per game. Rasmus Hojlund has put the ball over the goal line five times and thus leads the scoring list. The defensive record is not quite as good, with nine goals conceded. This is only the 13th-best value in the Europa League.
The Red Devils have not won in four away games in any competition. However, the red and whites drew attention with draws against Liverpool (2:2) and the Gunners (1:1). For the important victory in the game FCSB against Manchester United, odds of 1.63 are offered for bets on the guests.
FCSB – Manchester United Direct comparison / H2H record
The two teams have never met before. This Thursday’s clash in the last group game of the new league format is actually the first meeting between the Romanians and the Red Devils. The winner will secure a direct place in the last 16. Between FCSB and Manchester United, the betting providers’ forecasts give the guests the clear advantage.
FCSB – Manchester Tip
The winner is guaranteed a place in the last 16, while the loser could slip to a position that would require the extra round to reach the last 16.
The better cards are currently held by the English, for whom a draw will probably be enough. However, the hosts urgently need all three points. Both teams impressed in the league phase. While the Romanians have only lost one game, the Red Devils are still unbeaten.
The favorites are the red and whites, who have shown an upward trend in recent weeks. Only one of the last six competitive games was lost. In terms of personnel, we see United as much better positioned, so we recommend betting on the guests in the FCSB v Manchester United game at odds of 1.63 with the tested bookmaker Interwetten.
We expect the home side to play aggressively. There is not much for them to lose. They are already through to the next round, and making it to the last sixteen would be a major surprise. We therefore expect there to be a number of goals, so that in the game FCSB against Manchester United, at odds of 1.78, a bet on at least three goals is a good choice.
