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Dinamo Bucharest will play their first home match in 2015 against relegation threatened Universitatea Cluj in Liga 1, after already getting two good results against them this season – a 3-2 win away and a penalty win at home in the League Cup.
Dinamo started the season with a young team and some inconsistent performances, barely finishing in the top half of the Liga 1 table. In the winter break the Red Dogs changed the squad completely, bringing in a new coach and a whole bunch of players. With no real objective in the league this season (Dinamo is banned from European competitions), the hosts are basically giving a 6 month trial to all these new signings, trying to put together a team for the next season.
Despite the signings, Dinamo looked really, really bad in the first matches of 2015 – a 2-1 loss against Pandurii in the League Cup (did not deserve to score) and a lucky 1-0 win against arguably the worst team in the league, Otelul, scoring because of a huge keeper mistake. The Red Dogs were horrible in both matches, could not create anything and clearly there is no chemistry in this team right now. Coach Teja (whose abilities are questionable) fielded two totally different lineups in the two games and it is expected that many changes will occur again.
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Universitatea Cluj had a good run late in 2014, getting out from the relegation zone due to some pretty solid results. It seemed that the young coach Ogararu worked some magic on the visitors, but they started 2015 in horrible fashion, losing 3-0 at home to ASA Targu Mures – despite some interesting signings made in the winter. U Cluj is now tied with the first relegating spot, so they really need to get something. They will draw confidence from the fact that they clearly outplayed Dinamo on the road in the last match of 2014, despite eventually losing at penalties.
Team news & lineups:
Regulars Barboianu and Boubacar are suspended for Dinamo, while key midfielder Matei will probably not return, at least not in the starting 11. New signing Marc is also not yet ready to deputise. A number of players have been left outside the squad and it`s really hard to say which players will take the field, but I expect the Red Dogs to look similar to the lineup presented below. As for U Cluj, they don`t have any new significant injuries or suspensions aside from Gravenberch.
Dinamo: Naumovski – Fai, Nedelcearu, Bunoza, Filip – Grigore, Elhamed – Lazar, Grozav, Alexe – Niculae
“U” Cluj: Dolha – Jovanović, Škvorc, Neag, Bambara – Ceppelini, R. Costin, Van den Broek – Zijler, Lemnaru, Nuno Viveiros
This will be a really tough game for Dinamo and if they do not improve drastically, I just can`t see them winning against a desperate side which vastly outplayed them in the previous match, in December. U Cluj was all over Dinamo in that League Cup clash and should have won it, but could not take their chances. The Red Dogs are playing even worse right now and the low odds on Dinamo to win can not be justified only because Cluj lost 3-0 last round – it was obviously an accident. Mihai Teja said he wants a big win from his boys, but I think he is dreaming and it is not a good sign to take the opposition lightly. My tip here is U Cluj +0,75 asian handicap – expect an ugly game with few goals, if any. Prediction: Dinamo Bucharest – Universitatea Cluj 1-1.
Pick: U Cluj (+0,75 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 2.00 @ Sbobet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 8
Event date: 28 February
