- Universitatea Cluj have won 4, drawn 2 and lost 4 of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Dynamo Kiev have won 6, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their last 10 in all competitions.
- Dynamo Kiev have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 4 away matches in all competitions.
Familiar foes return for part two
Dynamo Kiev enter this matchup as the slight 59/50 favourites, with Universitatea Cluj 47/20 and the draw 11/5. The bookies are in a bit of a quandary and we think this is a tricky matchup to predict.
This is also a historic night for Universitatea Cluj, who return to the continental stage. With a 0-0 draw in their UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 tie, the Romanian side will look to hold firm at the Cluj Arena.
Clash of cultures
Ihor Kostiuk is a high-intensity, vertical pressing coach who builds his teams to force turnovers and hit fast in transition.
Cristiano Bergodi is a possession-based coach who sets up compact lines and will look to control the game tempo and keep things tight in the midfield.
This is the clear clash of styles for the matchup and the question is which one wins out on the night?
A cagey affair in the offing?
Both sides are coming off a 0-0 draw in the matchup. Neither side has really found the key to the other's game and the clash of coaching philosophies could lead to a cautious 90 minutes on Thursday.
Universitatea Cluj have drawn their last 2 games, including the aforementioned 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kiev, as well as a 1-1 home draw with FC Dinamo Bucuresti in Liga I Playoff 2025/2026. They're in mixed form, having won 1, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their last 5 in all competitions.
Dynamo Kiev are in better form, having won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 and they followed up the 0-0 draw with a 2-0 win over LASK Linz to keep the momentum going and the clean sheet streak alive.
The final verdict
This matchup looks fairly even on paper but Dynamo Kiev are in the better form and have the better away form, so we're inclined to think they are the more likely side to nick this or at least avoid defeat.
Cluj's 5-0 defeat away to Universitatea Craiova in the Liga I Playoff 2025/2026 was the most devastating of their recent results and serves as a reminder of the fragility of their defence. We'll take the Ukrainian side to win the game here, albeit by a narrow margin and Under 2.5 goals at 31/50 and Both Teams to Score - No at 39/50 are shades of pink on the main selections. 0-0 or 1-0 is the territory to look at for the correct score.
