- Team form: Craiova are unbeaten in 5 home games (W4, D1), conceding just 6 goals.
- Recent fixtures: Craiova's most recent 3 fixtures have seen them draw 2-2 at home to PFC Levski Sofia in UEFA Champions League Qualification, beat Petrolul 4-0 at home in Liga I and draw 1-1 away to KuPS in UEFA Europa League Qualification.
- Away record: KuPS have a record of (W4, L1) in 5 away games.
Control vs structure at Stadionul Ion Oblemenco
Match context
A 1-1 draw away from home last week is a good result for Universitatea Craiova, but they still have it all to do in this second leg tie.
Tactical approach
Filipe Coelho, appointed as head coach on 11 November 2025, has created a pragmatic side from his first fixture. Craiova typically sit in a 3-at-the-back system and are disciplined enough to control risk. They're good when they can press, but they are equally adept at sitting deep and hunting for counters when a gap opens.
Home form and recent results
In all competitions, Craiova are strong at home, having gone unbeaten in their last 5 games (W4, D1), while they've conceded just 6 goals in those fixtures. In their most recent 3 games, Craiova drew 2-2 at home to PFC Levski Sofia in UEFA Champions League Qualification, before hammering Petrolul 4-0 at home in their Liga I return. A 1-1 draw in Finland followed against KuPS in UEFA Europa League Qualification, a result which suggests that this tie is very tight indeed.
KuPS will push the pace
Miika Nuutinen has done a great job at KuPS since taking over on 1 January 2026, as the side he heads up likes to play with width and tempo. Nuutinen's team are proactive when they press, always looking to stretch teams and get the ball back as soon as possible after losing it.
KuPS are a good away side, winning 4 and losing 1 of their last 5 away games. The Finns have scored 9 goals in 5 away fixtures across all competitions, averaging 1.80 goals for away from home. Just as Craiova can hit it hard at times, Craiova showed their ability to switch it on in the 4-0 win over Petrolul last time out.
Going against the grain
The bookmakers have Craiova in at 1.53 for this game, a clear favorite. KuPS are available at 7.5 to get a result, while the draw is at 4.09. There's a bit of a gulf in the prices, which is understandable given the first leg result, but Craiova may just have a little bit too much in reserve for the Finns on Thursday.
The under 2.5 goals line at 1.85 looks like the right choice for the main selection, as it has plenty of room to land in a cagey clash that should be low-scoring. BTTS-No is also available at 1.7, which is only a shade away from a coin flip.
Craiova and KuPS are both solid at the back, but that 1-1 draw in the first leg suggests that they'll be able to get on the scoresheet. There's not much to choose between these two sides, and it could be a tight game.
A small wager on Craiova to win and BTTS-No will complete the selections for this fixture.
- Steven Nsimba has scored 3 goals in Craiova's last 5 games, a big reason why their attack has produced 8 goals in that stretch.
- Jaime Moreno is KuPS's top scorer in UEFA Europa League Qualification with 1 goal in 1 game, while he has also scored 2 of their last 5 team goals.
- Stefan Baiaram has 1 goal in UEFA Europa League Qualification for Craiova and Carlos Mora has 3 assists in their last 5 matches, so the visitors will need to keep an eye on those two in particular.
