- Universitatea Craiova are the slight favourites to win at 11/10, but KuPS Palloseura are a very decent price at 12/5, with the draw priced at 47/20.
- KuPS are 6 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats from their last 10 in all competitions, while Universitatea Craiova are 6 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats over the same period.
- KuPS have scored 2.25 and conceded 2.25 goals per game across their last 4 home games in all competitions, winning 2 and losing 2, while Universitatea Craiova have scored 1.25 and conceded 1.75 per game away from home in their last 4 in all competitions, with the same 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses record.
Tight game expected between similar sides
Miika Nuutinen has done an excellent job since taking over as head coach of KuPS Palloseura on 1 January 2026. He has kept things tight, patient and possession based, with his team occasionally breaking into life with vertical bursts. This is a good recipe for success in Finland's highest league, and it's a recipe that will surely be on display again in this UEFA Europa League qualification 2026 match against Universitatea Craiova.
Filipe Coelho has been in charge of Universitatea Craiova since 11 November 2025 and he has his side playing in a very different manner. It's a proactive 4-3-3 with high full-backs and plenty of players getting forward to press. When they have the ball, they want to play on the front foot and stretch the pitch, which should cause a clash of styles on Thursday.
Jaime Moreno has been KuPS's best attacking player of late, scoring 2 of their 6 goals across the last 5 matches. Craiova are in slightly better form, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats in their last 5, but this is likely to be a tight and cagey encounter. The bookies fancy Craiova as the slight favourites, and there is a case to make for that, but it's hard to separate these two sides and the value is certainly on the home side at 12/5.
Goals in short supply
KuPS have won 2 of their last 5, but they lost their 2 most recent matches in a row, both of them coming to Sabah FK in UEFA Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Universitatea Craiova had a very poor day at the office away from home in their most recent outing, losing 5-1 to FC Dinamo Bucuresti in the Liga I 2026/2027, but they did bounce back nicely in their next outing, a 2-2 draw against Levski Sofia in UEFA Champions League qualification.
The home record of KuPS is 2 wins and 2 losses in 4 matches, while Craiova's away record in all competitions is 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses in 4 matches. This should be a close run thing, and Craiova will win it by a hair, but both sides are capable of getting the better of each other, so a draw is possible. The markets seem to agree, with Under 2.5 goals a shade favourite at 41/50 and Both Teams To Score - No at 49/50.
