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FC Viitorul Constanta and Steaua Bucharest will square off in the Romanian Liga 1, with Viitorul looking to stop a 10 match losing streak against their opponents.
The hosts finished 5th last season in Romania and started off this season with a 1-0 victory over Voluntari – not the most impressive win, but a good one nonetheless. However, Viitorul was utterly destroyed in its European debut on Thursday, losing 0-5 in Belgium against Gent. Their lack of experience was obvious, as the roster is mostly composed of young players from the team’s academy.
Steaua missed on the title last year, finishing second and after losing a number of key players they definitely seem to be weaker this season. This did not stop Steaua from claiming an excellent 1-1 draw away from against Sparta Praga in the Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday. Sure, Steaua was a bit lucky to get that draw, but it was a pretty good performance against a strong side. This will be Steaua’s first Liga 1 match of the season.
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Team news & lineups:
Key center back Tiru is out for Viitorul, while Steaua can’t count on fringe players Filip and Popescu. Key winger Hamroun is back in the squad. Steaua is expected to rest 2-3 players ahead of the reverse leg against Sparta Praga, but reports still suggest a very strong lineup for the visitors.
Viitorul: Ramniceanu – Benzar, Boli, Brandan, Ganea – Marin, Filip, Purece – Chitu, Iancu, Tanase
Steaua: Nita – Enache, Tamas, Tosca, Momcilovic – Muniru, Bourceanu – Popa, Aganovic, Hamroun – Tudorie
The Head 2 Head between Viitorul and Steaua is one of the most peculiar you will find in European football. A few years ago, Viitorul defeated Steaua 5-2 in Bucharest, a win that allowed Viitorul to avoid relegation. Steaua rested almost its entire squad. Since then, Steaua has won all 10 matches against Viitorul with a goal difference of 22-2, allowing just 2 goals! What`s worse, Viitorul did not even put Steaua under pressure in any one of those games – Steaua’s each and every win was obvious from start to finish. Overall, Steaua won 11 out of 12 matches over Viitorul.
Sure, Steaua is a better team than Viitorul, but even so this Head 2 Head is too much – and there were times when on paper Viitorul really should have gotten draw or wins due to form / circumstances. Steaua beat them in the league, in the Cup, even beat them when resting 6-7 players – always the same scenario.
In Romania the consensus is that matches between Viitorul and Steaua are fixed, with Viitorul paying its debt after Steaua kept them in the top division a few years ago. The feeling is accentuated by the fact that Viitorul’s owner / manager, Gheorghe Hagi, is related to Steaua’s owner.
I`m not so sure that is the case, but something is definitely going on. My guess is we are talking about an inferiority complex, as Viitorul is a club in which pretty much everybody is a Steaua fan or related to Steaua in some way – from the administrative staff to the owner, manager and best players. Even most of Viitorul’s fans cheer for Steaua. Guys from Viitorul regularly end up in a Steaua uniform, so maybe that is why they always find it harder to play against this team.
I am not backing Steaua just because the H2H here. My main argument is that I don`t believe this very young Viitorul team will finally break the horrible run against Steaua exactly now – after they suffered a horrible loss and having to deal with bouncing back after a European game, something they never had to do before. It would require a lot of mental and physical strength for Viitorul’s youngsters to get a result here. Steaua’s experience should make the difference in this match, also the fact that they have 2 extra days of rest and can afford to mix up the first 11 a bit.
Even without 2-3 regulars in the team, I believe Steaua should do well to win again against Viitorul, especially as Dinamo Bucharest has already gained 6 points in the standings and Steaua doesn`t want to fall behind too much. They do need the win here.
My tip is a Steaua Bucharest win. This bet would have won in 10 out of the last 10 meetings, so it makes sense to try it again at odds ~1.80, especially as there are no additional circumstances against Steaua today. Yes, the following match with Sparta is much more important for them, but they do have advantages as well, like Viitorul’s mental and physical state. I will keep the stakes within reason due to my very poor form, otherwise I would have probably bet 8-9 units on this one. Prediction: FC Viitorul – Steaua Bucharest 0-1.
Pick: Steaua
Odds: 1.81 @ 18Bet
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 5.67
Event date: 31 July
