- FCSB have won three and drawn one of their four home matches across all competitions.
- FK Auda have won two, drawn two and lost one of their five away matches across all competitions.
- The hosts' most likely way to win is by dominating possession and the Latvians' best chance is on the break.
A compact fixture with FCSB the clear favourites
FCSB are the clear 1/5 favourite for their second-qualifying-round UEFA Conference League tie against FK Auda on Thursday night, and the fact that the visitors are 23/5 on the draw and 7/10 for over 2.5 goals tells you all you need to know about where this two-legged affair is heading.
Marius Baciu took over as manager of FCSB on 19 May 2026 and he seems to have instilled a sharp, high-tempo pressing game in his side that should suit a European knockout night. The Romanians have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five matches, losing 2-0 to AFC Hermannstadt, winning 2-1 after extra time against FC Dinamo Bucuresti and losing 4-0 to Union St.-Gilloise in a friendly.
Auda are a different breed as Didier Zanetti has moulded a disciplined and organised unit since taking over the helm on 1 January 2026. He employs a compact 4-1-4-1 structure that keeps them organized and patient while they allow their best players to spring the counters into space behind the advanced full-backs.
Baciu’s boys can force Auda into a close contest
Auda's last two results were a 2-0 home defeat to Riga FC and a 1-1 away draw with Rigas Futbola Skola, so they don't arrive in Romania with any momentum to speak of. The Latvians have four wins, three draws and three defeats in their last 10 across all competitions and look like a stubborn but unspectacular bunch.
FCSB's best chance of winning this tie will be to make home advantage count and they have been solid at Arena Nationala in 2026 with just one goal conceded in four home games across all competitions (Won 3, drawn 1). They have conceded just once in that time, so the most sensible approach here is to back them to win and both teams not to score as Auda score an average of 1.00 goals per away game and concede 0.60.
Zanetti's 4-1-4-1 is not a system that allows for the kind of forward play that can trouble home defences, although they will be hoping that Oskars Rubenis' predatory instincts in the box will be enough to nick them a goal against a side that has been vulnerable at the back lately.
The Latvian is the club's most reliable threat with two goals in his last five appearances and his team's only four goals across that sequence, so he should get a mention in the anytime goalscorer market. Baciu's side are built to force the game and it will be an easy watch if they can do that, but if Auda can hold their block and spring a counter attack, there will be a live puncher's chance in this for the underdogs.
