Craiova vs Universitatea Cluj Prediction 12 July 2026
🏆 The new season in Romania traditionally kicks off with the Romanian Super Cup. This year, the trophy will be contested by two sides bearing the Universitatea name, one from Craiova and the other from Cluj-Napoca. Bookmakers have installed the reigning Romanian champions as clear favourites, and with good reason: they've made a flying start to the campaign, while their opponents are struggling badly in front of goal.
Head-to-Head
📊 The rivalry between the sides from Craiova and Cluj-Napoca is as rich as it gets. For several seasons now, these teams have squared off four or five times each year, giving us plenty of material to analyze for our prediction.
Looking at just last season, in the 2025/26 campaign, the clubs met five times. In the regular season, Craiova edged one encounter (2-1), while another ended in a dull goalless draw, with Cluj failing to register a single shot on target. But once spring rolled around, the football changed dramatically: in the championship round, Universitatea Cluj dismantled their rivals with a 4-0 thrashing. That looked like a statement win - until Craiova responded emphatically a month later, not just claiming revenge but utterly dominating their opponents 5-0, posting an xG of 2.97 to Cluj’s 0.28 and firing 22 shots to just 5 from the visitors.
Between those high-scoring affairs came another goalless draw - though this one was far from boring. First off, it was the Romanian Cup final. Secondly, both teams combined for five shots on target (Craiova had four to Cluj’s one), and the drama carried all the way to penalties, where the home side ultimately prevailed 6-5.
Head-to-head statistics Craiova - Universitatea Cluj
Craiova Team Overview
Before the Romanian Super Cup, Craiova kicked off their European campaign. In the first qualifying round of the Champions League on , the Romanian side claimed a convincing 4-1 away win over Belarusian outfit Maxline Vitebsk. The match stats broke down as follows (Craiova vs Maxline):
- Possession: 58% vs 42%;
- Corners: 5 vs 4;
- Yellow cards: 1 vs 3;
- Shots on target: 8 vs 3.
Craiova head into the trophy clash with a significant advantage on all fronts. Looking back at last season’s head-to-heads, Cluj’s only memorable moment was that emphatic 4-0 victory. Across the other four encounters, they allowed their opponents just nine shots on target. The psychological edge after such a rout brings added pressure and nerves, something Filipe Coelho’s Portuguese-led side must exploit to the fullest.
The Romanian champions have burst into the new season full of confidence. During their summer pre-season, Craiova drew with Sabah (1-1) and edged past Polissya Zhytomyr (4-3). But the highlight was a commanding win over Maxline in the Champions League. Their path to the second qualifying round is practically paved; while complacency is not an option, a three-goal cushion allows them to focus more on lifting the trophy than on carefully managing their energy reserves.
Match Results: Craiova
Universitatea Cluj Team Overview
Universitatea Cluj have also kicked off their European campaign, though with less success, as they battled to a goalless draw away to Dynamo Kyiv in the first qualifying round of the Europa League (0-0). Here’s a look at the key match stats (Universitatea Cluj vs Dynamo Kyiv):
- possession: 37% vs 63%;
- corners: 4 vs 10;
- fouls: 10 vs 10;
- yellow cards: 1 vs 0;
- shots on target: 1 vs 5.
Universitatea Cluj head into this crucial cup clash in worrying form. They’ve failed to find the net in three consecutive friendlies and their only official fixture so far. Add to that a pair of goalless draws against Craiova this spring, and it’s clear Cluj are struggling in attack as they approach the final.
There’s added pressure on Cristian Bergodi’s squad following their result against Dynamo Kyiv. Sure, a goalless draw in the away leg sets them up nicely for the home fixture and strengthens their chances of progressing in the Europa League rather than dropping into the Conference League. However, with such a congested schedule and players still short of peak fitness, resource management becomes a real challenge. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Cluj end up sacrificing the Romanian Super Cup in favour of their longer-term ambitions on the European stage.
Match Results: Universitatea Cluj
Prediction on the outcome
H2H:
- number of encounters - 16;
- home team wins - 9, away team wins - 2, draws - 5.
- Craiova have won in 7 of last 8 home games.
Prediction on the over/under
H2H
- the home team scores on average - 1.5, the guests - 0.81;
- average over/under goals in head-to-head matches - 2.31;
- both teams scored: overall - 7; at the home team's field - 3.
- Under 2.5 goals scored in 7 of last 8 Universitatea Cluj games.
Prediction on corners
- Under 9.5 corners in last 5 Craiova games.
Prediction on BTTS
H2H:
- number of encounters - 16;
- both teams scored all-time - 7 times;
- on the home team’s field - 3 times.
⭐️ Editor’s Pick
The visitors’ current form leaves much to be desired, and their attempts to juggle two competitions are unlikely to yield positive results. The Romanian Super Cup is more about prestige than tangible prospects, and while Craiova are expected to field their strongest line-up and go all out, CFR Cluj are almost certain to rotate, resting key players and giving opportunities to reserves - especially with their Europa League ambitions in mind. The head-to-head numbers hardly inspire confidence for Cluj either; it’s not just about results, but the near-total dominance shown by Craiova, who managed twice as many shots even in a 0-4 defeat. A well-founded prediction would be a Craiova win in regular time. Predicted score: 2-0.
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Betting Tips: Craiova - Universitatea Cluj
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