FCSB vs RFS prediction 26.09.2024 | Europa League

• Competition: Europa League
• Date: Thursday, 26th September, 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: Arena Nationala (Bucharest)

On Thursday evening, Romanian and Latvian champs, FCSB and RFS, will face off in the Europa League first round. The game will take place at Arena Nationala in Bucharest.

Last year, FCSB managed to win the league title for the first time since the 2013/24 season. They finished second in seven of those eight seasons and finally succeeded in taking a step forward last year. Unfortunately, this season's start has been terrible, as they are currently in 13th place with just ten points in nine rounds. Their European journey started from the 1st round of the Champions League Qualifiers, where they had their ups and downs and eventually lost in the 3rd round against Sparta Prague in a very close duel (4:3 on aggregate). In the Europa League, the game against RFS is by far their easiest, and they are under pressure to win all three points.

RFS won the title last year, leaving Riga FC just one point behind. This year, due to a football calendar different from most European countries, RFS already played 29 rounds in the Virsliga (out of 36). Considering they are six points away from Riga, and with one game played less, we can safely say they are super close to winning their second title in a row. Additionally, in the last game, they just beat Riga FC 2:1 in the League Cup and are the primary candidates for that title as well. When it comes to European Qualifiers, they have won five of eight games, which is great if we consider their poor performances in recent years. Still, they are one of the weaker teams in the competition and are definitely without pressure to win points in the Europa League.

FCSB vs RFS pick: FCSB to win and cover the -1 AH spread

FCSB were far from impressive this season in total. However, it seems they are getting better and have been undefeated in the last four games. One of those matches was on the road against Cluj, which is definitely one of the best teams in the country. FCSB managed to draw (2:2) and probably deserved even more. So, there are definitely things to be optimistic about.

Also, at home, FCSB did fine in European Qualifiers, losing only to Sparta Prague, which eventually reached the Champions League. But even in that match, FCSB did OK and deserved at least a draw.

RFS have excellent results in the domestic league, but the Virsliga is too weak, and those good results don't mean much for us. In Europe, RFS did OK, but only against weak opponents and at home. Against teams like APOEL and Bodo/Glimt, they lost both of their road games while allowing six goals. So, it is unreal to expect a positive result in Romania.

Simply, FCSB should be a much better team overall with more European experience. Combined with a home pitch advantage, we believe that the Romanian champs should secure a comfortable victory.