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Dinamo Bucharest and CFR Cluj will square off in a Romanian Cup final that will be marked by the recent death of Dinamo`s Patrick Ekeng, who collapsed on the pitch 10 days ago in the last round of the league. The final will be played at Arena Nationala in Bucharest, so Dinamo will be the hosts with over 40.000 Red Dogs expected in the stands.
Dinamo Bucharest finished the season in 4th place after some poor performances in their last two games, when they played much worse defense than they usually do, allowing 7 goals. The Red Dogs defeated arch rivals Steaua in the semifinals and are deserving favorites coming into this match, but the death of Patrick Ekeng has obviously really shaken the players and the staff ahead of this final.
CFR Cluj did not qualify for the Liga 1 playoffs, but they have definitely been one of the top sides in the playout. CFR is currently 8th in the standings (2nd in the relegation group), as the playout is still not finished. They have been in very good form lately, winning 5, drawing 2 and losing 1 of the 8 matches they played since April. CFR allowed just 4 goals in those 8 games. Of course, opponents in the playout are more accessible, so that has to be taken into account.
Place your bets on Dinamo Buc – CFR Cluj with the best football odds at 1xBet now!
Team news & lineups:
Both teams are healthy and can field their best lineups, though Dinamo will obviously miss Patrick Ekeng.
Dinamo Bucharest: Cerniauskas – Hanca, Puljic, Mevlja, Filip – Antono, Palic – Rotariu, Bicfalvi, Lazar – Gnohere
CFR Cluj: Marc – Tiago Lopes, Goian, Larie, Camora – Petrucci, Gomelt – Jakolis, Ruiz, Vitor Bruno – Cristian Lopez
It`s unclear how Dinamo will respond after the tragedy that took place. The players are obviously extremely affected and they could come out flat, but they could also be extra fired up to win the final in the memory of their deceased colleague, who scored a massive goal in the semifinals to get them here. For this reason, betting on one team or another to win could be risky. Normally, the value would be on Dinamo to win, as they hare hosting the final.
My bet here will be against goals. Dinamo is a defensive, pragmatic team which likes to concede possession as they are very good at the back. True, their last two matches were ultra high scoring (2-4 and 3-3), but it was the end of the league and they had no real objective in sight aside for finishing 3rd. The final will be different, with Dinamo reverting to their usual risk – free style of football. CFR is also a team that defends very well.
In the regular league season, only one team defended better than Dinamo and CFR, who both conceded less than 1 goal per game. In the playoffs, CFR allowed 7 goals in 11 matches, while Dinamo allowed 15 goals in 10 matches (7 of them coming in the last two rounds). The two teams met three times this season, a 2-0 CFR win (Dinamo had 3 players sent off), a 2-0 Dinamo win and a 1-1 draw. In a Cup final with such high stakes, it`s unlikely that more goals will be scored.
Expect a close, boring match with both sides focusing on defense, trying not to concede a goal. As both are defending well, I doubt more than 1 or 2 goals will be scored, so my tip here is under 2,5 goals. Prediction: Dinamo Bucharest – CFR Cluj 0-0 (1-0 in extra time).
Pick: under 2,5 goals
Odds: 1.68 @ 1xBet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 5.44
Event date: 17 May
