- Team form: Dinamo have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions
- Opposition form: Craiova have won three, drawn one and lost only one of their previous five in all competitions
- Head-to-head: Dinamo have failed to win either of their two previous home games against Craiova in all competitions (Drawn 2)
Tactical clash between transition and possession
FC Dinamo Bucuresti and Universitatea Craiova will go head-to-head on Thursday in the Liga I Playoff 2025-2026 with a lot of work still to do if they are to achieve their respective objectives. While Craiova are currently in second with 30 points from 1 match, their hosts are sixth with 26 points from 1.
Zeljko Kopic’s high-tempo pressing style has been in place since December 2023 and works well when the visitors have the ball in their own half. Dinamo press with intensity in wide areas and transition quickly to attack with the ball in front of them.
Their two most recent results are a 1-0 home win over AFC Metalul Buzau in the Romanian Cup and back-to-back Liga I Playoff defeats to CFR 1907 Cluj and Rapid Bucuresti. The visitors have been the better of the two sides lately, winning three, drawing one and losing only one of their recent five in all competitions.
Filipe Coelho has taken Craiova down a different route since he took charge in November 2025, preferring to play a patient, possession-based brand of soccer.
Visitors to take the points
Form and odds
Craiova’s recent results are a 3-1 cup win over CFR 1907 Cluj after extra time, a 1-1 away draw with Rapid Bucuresti and a 0-1 home defeat to FC Arges. Craiova’s superior form and the fact that Dinamo have been involved in a couple of games in between this fixture, leads us to favour the away side to squeak out a victory in a close game.
The 2.62 available on Craiova to win has to be one of the better odds of the day in Europe’s top leagues and reflects their status as a slight favorite for this fixture. The 1.83 on both teams to score appeals slightly more because Dinamo have pressed since December 2023 and could be vulnerable to Craiova’s controlled build-up and overloads in wide areas.
Tactical battle and players
Dinamo’s pressing style will cause Craiova problems too, however, and both teams to get on the scoresheet is expected in what should be a competitive matchup.
- Catalin Cirjan leads Dinamo’s attack and has already scored once in the Liga I Playoff 2025/2026.
- Alexandru Marian Musi, a creative midfielder with one assist in the playoff campaign, should have more joy in the final third against Craiova's possession game, while the hosts can be a real threat in transition.
- Craiova’s midfield has been the driving force in their recent games and the ability to control the pace of the game has helped them win the cup game.
