The 2025/26 season of the UEFA Champions League kicks off this week with the first qualifying round. Former winners FCSB are one of the biggest clubs in action, and they begin their campaign against Inter Club d'Escaldes of Andorra.
FCSB, more widely known as Steaua Bucharest, are the champions of Romania having successfully defended their title last term. They’ve enjoyed real domestic success since Elias Charalambous took charge in 2023, and were also really competitive in Champions League qualifying last season, progressing through two rounds, before a narrow exit against Sparta Prague.
They’ve already got some competitive minutes under their belts in the new season, with a 2-1 victory over Cluj in the Romanian Super Cup at the weekend ensuring they should be relatively sharp and ready for this one.
Inter Club form the opposition, after they were crowned the champions of Andorra last season for the fourth time. They have progressed through Champions League ties in the past, defeating Faroese opposition in 2021 and a side from San Marino the following year, but this would be comfortably the most significant victory in their European history were they to defeat the 1986 European Cup winners.
How the bookies view it: Only one outcome likely in Bucharest
With home advantage at the Steaua Stadium, there is only one result that is likely here according to the bookies. FCSB are the huge 1/66 favourites according to BoyleSports, with the draw priced at 12/1, while Inter Club can be backed at 25/1 to cause a huge upset in the Romanian capital.
Recent head-to-head: Clubs set for first meeting
These clubs have never met previously. Inter Club did face Romanian opposition only three years ago in a Conference League qualifier, and they managed to hold Cluj to a 1-1 draw at home, but were beaten 3-0 in the away leg to go out 4-1 on aggregate.
Players to watch: Olaru to lead FCSB to victory?
The hosts have a few selection issues up top, but they can still count on their skipper Darius Olaru to offer a real threat from an attacking midfield role. He could be a key man in this game and he registered eight goals and three assists in 17 SuperLiga appearances last season.
Predicted Lineups
FCSB look set to be without four players for this game, with Joyskim Dawa, Daniel Birligea, Octavian Popescu and Denis Alibec all carrying injuries.
The visitors have fewer injury concerns and their attack is likely to be spearheaded by Andorra international Guillaume Lopez.
FCSB: Tarnovanu, Cercel, Ngezana, M. Popescu, Radunovic, Sut, Tanase, Miculescu, Politic, Olaru, Stoian.
Inter Club: Munoz, Aguero, Alonso, Puentes, Sanchez, Torres, Calderon, Mohedano, De La Torre, Assoubre, Lopez.
Anything else catch the eye?
Inter Club have managed to score at least once in seven of their last eight European fixtures and they actually scored three away to AEK Athens in the Conference League last term. That suggests they are capable of asking the odd question in this match, and you can back FCSB to win and both teams to score at 13/5 with Bet365, while Over 3.5 total goals is on offer at 8/11 with BoyleSports.
There is still a really significant gulf in terms of the resources of these two clubs though, and the Romanians ought to build up a clear first-leg advantage. You can back FCSB to win 4-1 at long odds of 18/1 with bet365.
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