Honved vs Univ. Craiova (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 25.07.2019

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Honved vs Univ. Craiova Prediction & Betting tips

At the U21 European Championship a few weeks ago, the Romanian offspring became a big surprise. After a great preliminary round, in which the team of coach Mirel Radoi, among others, England and France could leave behind, they fell out of the semi-final against Germany. Nonetheless, numerous Romanian talents have been able to attract attention and increase their market value. One of these top youngsters was Alexandru Cicaldau, who pulled the strings in the central midfield and presented himself enormously powerful. With just that Cicaldau there will be a reunion on Thursday night in the Europa League qualification. Then meets in the second round first leg namely Honved Budapest on his club Craiova. According to the quotas, the Romanians are favorites to progress.

However, it is also a fact that the runner-up of the season in Hungary enjoys the home advantage and will certainly do everything in his power to at least uphold the chances of a place in the next round. At the start the Red-Blacks were able to retain the upper hand after a return match against the Lithuanian representative FK Zalgiris (3: 1, 1: 0). Craiova won twice against Azerbaijani underdog Səbail FK, but conceded two goals in both cases (3: 2, 3: 2). Now that two clubs are on equal terms and a lot is at stake, it is unlikely that one of the teams wants to run straight into the open. A careful sampling, as so often in first matches, we consider quite likely. For this reason, between Honved Budapest and Craiova a prognosis that no hit in the first half hour seems absolutely obvious.

Honvéd Budapest:

Since the 2008/2009 season, the second most important European club competition is no longer run under the name UEFA Cup, but under UEFA Europa League. In the ten-year period until today, the Bulgarian club Honved Budapest could not qualify once for the first main round. The Bundesliga club ventured four attempts, but failed at the latest on lap three. In the last three attempts (2012, 2013 and 2018) was even in the second round final stop. In the previous year, even the Luxembourg underdog Progres Niederkorn was despite a 1-0 first leg victory a number too big, which is why the Hungarians due to a 0-2 away break again prematurely painted the sails.

The same fate now threatens in the current season. In the pairing Honved Budapest against Craiova, the odds regarding the chances of getting ahead speak a rather clear language in favor of the Romanian counterparty. Even in the first leg against a home crowd, the bookmakers do not trust the red-black host much. In any case, quotations in the range of 3.10, which just imply a probability of 30%, can not be explained at any rate.

In the first round, the team of the Italian coach Guiseppe Sannino, who took over the task in Budapest only in late May, not really stained with fame. Against Lithuania’s FK Zalgiris, after a 3-1 home win in the first leg, they drew 1-1 away to reach the second round draw. However, another caliber is waiting for the Hungarians, whose season starts at the beginning of August. Because the Romanians have already played several competitive games and the Romanian League has begun in mid-July, physical benefits in favor of the guest can not be talked away. The home side are also a bit weaker in terms of quality, which is impressively underpinned by the more than three-fold squad market value.

The home record is also no great encouragement for the Sannino Elf, because in the past NB I season, the Budapest occupy only seventh place in the home table. Only eight of the 15 matches in front of a home crowd were victorious (four draws, three defeats). The fact that the champion of 2017 nonetheless saved the fourth place in the finish in the second year in succession, was primarily due to the good results in foreign countries. A small glimmer of hope remains nevertheless, since at least 2018/2019 on home stage both home games were won.

However, in order to justify a tip on the host in the encounter Honved Budapest against Craiova, these arguments are not sufficient. Personnelly, the Italian coach with the exception of defender Mezghrani can draw on the full. Even the former Bundesliga pro Ahn Ben Hatira would be available, but has not been used in the Europa League so far.

Craiova:

The fact that the Romanian football is on the up, has not only underpinned the U21 national team, but also the senior team, which started quite successfully with seven points from the first four games in the European Championship qualifiers. Only the clubs that represent the “Tricolori” on the international stage have not been able to keep pace with this positive development in the recent past. The CS Universitatea Craiova we want to exclude at this point from the criticism, however, as the blue-whites failed both 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 to seemingly overpowering opponents in qualifying for the Europa League group stage.

Two years ago, the Romanians had no chance against former European Cup winner AC Milan (0: 1, 0: 2). In the past season, the still young club, whose predecessor club was excluded in 2013 by the Romanian Association due to financial difficulties, after all, RB Leipzig before bigger problems than expected. After a 1: 3 defeat in the first leg Craiova struggled very well in the second leg and drove a considerable 1-1 draw.

The fourth-placed in the league season ended, however, scored only ten goals in ten games in the championship round, but also conceded on the opposite side only ten goals and was thus labeled as a “minimalist troupe”, has nevertheless written on the flag, first time to reach the preliminary round of the Europa League.

The predecessor club had succeeded in 1996 in the UEFA Cup last. Prerequisite for this is a good result in the stranger and above all a better defensive performance than in the first qualifying round against Səbail FK, as both won both matches, but conceded two goals in both the first and second leg. It is now important to set and to be more stable with slightly reduced risk and a more disciplined overall performance.

Exactly this approach leads us to believe that on Thursday night in the duel Honved Budapest against Craiova a forecast on scoreless first 32 minutes at the beginning of the game could prove correct. With continuous playing time, the Romanians should actually have the advantages on their side, as they are in the running game operation and immediately generated the maximum yield of six points on the first two matchdays in the new national season. With the exception of the Bosnian attacker Elvir Koljic, all men are ready for action. Also mentioned in the introduction Alexandru Cicaldau will be on the pitch from the beginning and driving the team on the “double-six” together with his compatriot Mateiu.