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CFR Cluj vs Celtic Prediction & Betting tips
The final match day of the UEFA Europa League is on the agenda, and on Thursday evening at 17:55, CFR Cluj will welcome Celtic Glasgow at home. The Romanians are in second place in Group E, but are not yet qualified.
For this they need one more point, as long as Lazio wins in a parallel match against Stade Rennes. The Italians won the direct comparison against CFR Cluj.
The guest from Scotland, meanwhile, is not only already qualified directly, but also already group winners. In addition, Celtic Glasgow won in the domestic cup competition in the weekend against the Rangers in a very intense game. This means that the team of coach Neil Lennon will probably not send the absolute top-eleven on the court.
The bookmakers see the same, because even if the CFR Cluj is not the favorite and individually should be less occupied than the guests from Scotland, the odds see the hosts slightly ahead.
CFR Cluj:
The CFR Cluj is one of the most successful clubs in the Romanian league in recent years and is again in the title fight this season. Coach Dan Petrescu’s squad is currently in great shape, although the dress rehearsal for the Europa League game was lost 2-1 to Botosani.
Nevertheless, should now look forward, because the entry into the knockout round of the Europa League in front of a prestigious team such as Lazio would be a huge success, not only for the CFR Cluj, but also for the Romanian football.
For this, a victory, as already mentioned, is not even necessary. A draw is even enough. Before the game of CFR Cluj against Celtic Glasgow, the odds are quite good, the bookmakers see the Romanians against the Scots at an advantage.
Under Dan Petrescu, the CFR Cluj usually plays in a 4-3-3 system. Important pillars are the former Schalke Ciprian Deac, who pulls the strings on offense, and the tall striker Lacina Traore, who played in the past, inter alia, for Monaco, CSKA Moscow or Everton.
Whether Traore will play against Celtic Glasgow from the beginning is questionable, because the Scots have a lot of physique, especially on the defensive. The more mobile Frenchman Omrani is an alternative way to deal with the guests’ defenses. Personnelly, the situation at CFR Cluj is anything but tense, only attacker Tucudean is currently out.
Celtic Glasgow:
With a title win in the back Celtic Glasgow goes to Romania. At the weekend, the city and permanent rivals, the Glasgow Rangers, were defeated 1-0 and the League Cup was won. Celtic Glasgow are in great shape anyway and have won the last twelve competitive games.
The offensive was very busy in recent weeks. McGregor, Christie, Elyounoussi, Edouard, Sinclair – the opportunities that coach Neil Lennon has with the Scottish top club are enormous. The competition enlivens the entire offensive, everyone wants to take advantage of his opportunities and show.
And that is exactly what should also apply to the game in the Europa League CFR Cluj. Celtic Glasgow face Hibernian on the weekend and are challenged in the title fight as the Rangers are close on the heels of the club.
So Neil Lennon could do a little bit of a turn against the Romanians, give a break to the players who have pushed the limits in the League Cup final and give the young players the chance to prove themselves on the international stage.
However, many changes in the starting line-up naturally also mean that a team is not ideally matched. The automatisms are not available, the paths are not stored in the back of the head. This is also a factor that makes the game more difficult for Celtic Glasgow and a CFR Cluj Vs. Celtic Glasgow tip on good odds favored to the home team.
There is nothing to fear at Celtic Glasgow because the group victory has already been sealed. Abd Elhamed, Arzani and Simunovic are injured and captain Scott Brown has to serve a yellow card. Otherwise, the Scots tend to have all players available.
CFR Cluj vs Celtic head to head matches
03.10.19 EL Celtic CFR Cluj 2 : 0
13.08.19 CL Celtic CFR Cluj 3 : 4
07.08.19 CL CFR Cluj Celtic 1 : 1
06.07.13 CF CFR Cluj Celtic 2 : 1