FCSB vs Universitatea Cluj prediction 13.07.2024

• Competition: Liga 1
• Date: Saturday, 13th July, 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UTC +1 / 21:00 CEST
• Venue: Arena Nationala (Bucharest)

After about a two-month break, Romanian Liga 1 is about to begin. The reigning champs, FCSB, will welcome Universitate Cluj in the first round at Arena Nationala in Bucharest.

FCSB are the greatest football club in Romania. Last year, they won the title pretty easily. Yes, it was only by three points in the end, but that was only because they lost the last three games when it was already clear they secured the title. This season started great as they won the Super Cup and began their European journey with a 7:1 win over Virtus in the Champions League Qualifiers. This year, the expectation for FCSB in the domestic competition is once again the same, and anything but a title would be a disappointment.

Universitatea Cluj secured a return to the Romanian top-flight division in 2021/22. Even though they ended up in the relegation group, they weren't too close to actual relegation. In fact, they almost secured Europe via Conference League Playoffs last year as they lost in the Finals against Universitatea Craiova after the penalty shootout. This year, their goal will probably be to finish in the Championship Group. Before the start of the season, the bookies see Universitate Cluj as the 7th favorite for the title and offering odds of around 55 for them to win the Liga 1 title.

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

FCSB played two friendlies and two official games (one in the Super Cup and one in the Champions League Qualifiers) and won all four. Yes, it was mostly against poor teams, but scoring 20 goals in those four matches is still impressive. Last year, FCSB were excellent at home, winning 65% of their league games.

Universitatea Cluj had a poor preparation period. They won just one game in four matches, and they haven't faced tough competition. Over the Summer, they changed the team a lot, and whenever a team does that, it often results in a poor start to the season.

Simply, FCSB are a better team, and we believe they will win most of their home games. Considering all the above, anything but a comfortable win for FCSB against Universitatea Cluj will be a surprise.