- FK Auda won the first leg of this UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 fixture 3-2 and they will be difficult to beat in Latvia.
- FCSB have won 5, drawn 1 and lost 4 of their last 10 in all competitions and they appear to have lost their rhythm a little.
- FCSB have conceded 2.25 goals per away game and FK Auda have scored an average of 1.50 goals per home game in 2026.
Sides set to play the percentages
Auda can make their 3-2 first-leg win stand
This Thursday's UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 second-leg clash between FK Auda and FCSB will be a tense fixture and it's hard to go against the Latvian hosts making a good account of themselves at Skonto Stadium.
FK Auda boss Didier Zanetti, who took charge on 1 January 2026, has his men sitting compact and hard to get through in a narrow 4-1-4-1/4-5-1 system. In their three previous outings, they were beaten 2-0 at home by Riga FC, held to a 1-1 away draw by Rigas Futbola Skola and then made a statement by beating FCSB 3-2 in the first-leg of this tie.
Marius Baciu's men are not as static as their hosts - the Romanian coach has encouraged a quicker, more vertical press-and-probe style from his 4-3-3 base since taking over on 19 May 2026. But both sides will undoubtedly play for percentages on Thursday and that points towards a cagey game.
Auda can cause an upset
The bookmakers are clearly going with FCSB to get the job done and it's easy to see why - they are the narrow favourites at 1.87, with the home side 3.75 and the draw 3.75. That's certainly a correct reflection of the sides' respective class and form, but we're going to take a chance on Auda because of the way this fixture is shaping up.
The hosts have won two, drawn one and lost one of their four home games in all competitions in 2026, conceding just 1.00 goal per game and scoring an average of 1.50 per game. And they did make a real statement by winning the home fixture last Thursday.
Baciu's side have won one and lost three of their previous four away games in all competitions and appear to have lost their way a little in the last fortnight, so the play on the draw no bet line has enough value to take for this clash.
Free-kick expert could be key
FK Auda's last five games have seen them win two, draw two and lose one, which is a solid, but not spectacular, run of form and should give them the belief to carry some momentum through this week's clash.
Barthelemy Diedhiou has scored one goal in one UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 match to top FK Auda's scoring charts in this competition, but Kader Kone has two goals in their last five and looks the most likely livewire for the hosts in the final third.
Aymen Boutoutaou is FCSB's scoring danger man in this comp with one goal in one match and Baciu will have a reliable outlet when this game does open up, but whether he can get the ball in the right area is another question. Our prediction is for a close, low-scoring game, so Under 2.5 goals at 1.98 and BTTS yes at 1.7 are the bets to make in this fixture.
