Both FCSB and Drita got relegated to the Europa League qualifiers after their unconvincing performances last week. Will the Romanian champions struggle against yet another modest opposition?
The 28-time Romanian champions and former European Cup winners enter this clash with four consecutive defeats across all competitions, and Elias Charalambous' time at the club may be coming to an end if they somehow fail against Drita too. FCSB have won just two of their eight games since the start of the season.
Meanwhile, the season is yet to start in Kosovo, so our only evidence for Drita's form is their performance in Europe. The four-time champions overcame Luxembourg's Differdange in the opening round of the Champions League qualifications, but got a bad draw against Copenhagen. As expected, they lost both legs, but we still have to note that they only lost 3-0 on aggregate, which can be considered a positive.
How the bookies view it: Drita in their usual underdog position
Drita must be used to being the underdogs in these qualifications and the situation is the same ahead of this clash. Bookmakers give FCSB 7/20 to win on Thursday, while the Kosovans are priced at 15/2. You can also bet on the draw at 16/5.
Recent head to head: Two legs to mark the start of this rivalry
There is nothing to report, as this will be the first clash between these two sides. Let's see how the first leg plays out.
Players to watch: Cisotti needs help
Charalambous will be forced to move around some injuries and suspensions, as the usual captain Darius Olaru remains sidelined. Additionally, Florin Tanase will be forced to stay out due to a suspension, after scoring a hat-trick in the domestic league during the weekend.
With all this in mind and this clash being in the early days of the season, it's difficult to predict which player will step up and deliver. Our best bet is Juri Cisotti, who had four goal involvements in the four CL qualification matches.
Probable line-ups
FCSB: Tarnovanu, Radunovic, Popescu, Graovac, Cretu, Miculescu, Sut, Chiriches, Popescu, Cisotti, Birligea
Drita: Maloku, Ovouka, Mesa, Bejtulai, Krasniqi, Dabiqaj, Broja, Ajzeraj, Krasniqi, Manaj, Limaj
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the state of FCSB's defence, we wouldn't rule out Drita just yet. These qualifications have once again proven that even the smallest teams stand a chance and at this point in time, the difference isn't that big. Thankfully, bookmakers gave us some fascinating odds and we plan to take advantage.
Drita had few chances against Copenhagen but will have far more against this defence, so the 6/5 for BTTS feel like a hidden gift. It isn't an easy pick but we see the value. And at the same time, we expect both sides to be more careful, so we expect under 3.5 goals. FCSB will be under a lot of pressure after the unpleasant results in recent weeks, so we wouldn't expect too many risks. On paper, the Romanians have more firepower but we don't expect more than a couple of goals from them.
GambleAware