Unirea put an end last round to a run of 7 games without a win and let Sportul to sink alone for the moment. It was a very lively game, with both teams playing offensive football and Unirea managed to take full profit from Sportul’s funny defense. Still, hard days are coming for them and it is hard to believe that win will do something more than just prolonging the agony. Captain Maftei signed with CFR Cluj and he will play there from next season, and this will leave a big hole in the team. He is the heart of the defense and all the players were gathered around him, but now his motivation is questionable. .Playmaker Paduretu picked up an injury last round and he is in big doubt for today’s game.
Signs of improvement
Pandurii started to play some quality football since Grigoras took charge of the team’s affairs, and even managed a 4 games without a loss run before last round, when they undeservedly lost at Vaslui. They were the positive team, enjoying possession and creating chances, but Vaslui hit them twice on the counters in the space of 5 minutes and that was it. Still, if they will continue their late performances, they have a genuine chance to avoid relegation. Midfielders Voiculet and Hidisan will miss this game for Pandurii, but they have players able to cover them.
The visitors will have the edge
This is a relegation derby and a “6 points game” at the same time. Both teams are at equal points and a win today will mean the world for anyone who will get it. Still, Unirea is slowly going to extinction while Pandurii has the required financial power and logistic support to survive in the first league. Probably Unirea will not bunker themselves in the defense and this will create spaces for Pandurii’s fast players. From my point of view, Pandurii should have been set slight favorites here and not the opposite. Having this in mind, I believe a bet on the to cover the 0,25 handicap is good to take but I will go for some juicier odds and take the DNB on them, with small-medium stakes.
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Prediction:
Tip: 2 AH (0)
Odd: 2.24
Bookie: Goalwin
Alongside leaders Otelul, Vaslui is the most in-form team in the league, as they have lost just once in the last 11 rounds (8 wins and 2 draws). The hosts had a very poor start of the campaign, but step-by-step they climb up on the standings and now lie on third place and in case they can keep their unbeaten run till the break, they could even get involved in the title race in the second half of the season. Important striker Adailton is still sidelined, while winger Milislavljevici is doubtful.
Rock-solid defense
In contrast with Vaslui, Rapid have suffered a dip in form in recent weeks, as they won just one of their last 7 competitive games (league and Cup), while they failed to score in 5 games in the process, but at least they boast the best defensive record in the league, with just 11 goals conceded in 17 games. The guests are confronted with big selection issues, as skipper Lazar and striker Cassio are suspended, while winger Roman and center-back Marius Constantin are injured.
Bad weather conditions
It snowed a lot at Vaslui on last days, the pitch is frozen, and we can expect a temperature bellow 0, so obviously the bad weather conditions will have an impact on the game`s quality. The hosts are very dominant on their home ground (6W, 2D, 1L), unlike Rapid who struggled on the road (2W, 2D, 4L) and considering that the last 2 games from Vaslui ended with narrow wins for the hosts, a repeat scenario is the most possible outcome. However, considering the weather conditions, I suggest another bet. Vaslui have kept 6 clean sheets in the last 9 rounds (all of them ended with at most 1 goal scored), while Rapid have a rock-solid defense and kept 10 clean sheets in 17 rounds, so a close affair is what I expect. Rapid had scoring problems on recent rounds and considering the fact that they will miss 4 regulars, I think they will be more concerned to defend the draw. The tradition is also favorable, as the last two head-to-heads from Vaslui ended with the same scoreline (1-0), so one goal should be enough to decide the outcome. 1-0 or 0-0 is what I expect.
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Prediction:
Tip: Under 1,5 Goals
Odd: 2,75
Bookie: Sportingbet
Medias is on a good run of results lately, winning at Steaua and drawing at CFR in the previous 2 rounds. Still, they weren’t great but played an honest football and some heavy defense, especially in the second half. Only CFR’s and Steaua’s inability to score made them victorious, since both had many clear scoring chances but they missed them with ease. Surprisingly, Medias plays better on the road, them being the best away team so far, but with less than average results at home. It seems the counter attacking style suits them much better than a game of possession. Coach Pustai will have to deal without 4 missing players due to suspension: gk Plesca, defenders Trtovac and Buzean and defensive midfielder Khubala. Also, another 4 players are rated doubtful but, most likely, at least 2-3 of them should be recovered in time to play.
Better on the road
Craiova is a similar team with Medias, from their results point of view. They are the worst home team from the league (surprisingly if we consider in their last 3 home games they had a huge home support), but they are more than decent on the road. They also have some squad problems, defender Gaman and Barboianu being suspended, while midfielders Prepelita and Gargorov being injured. These players are all important and, if the defenders could be replaced by Ciuca and David Lopes, they don’t have adequate cover for the midfielders. This means, Piturca will probably play with two anchormans in the midfield, and with 4 strikers in front of them.
Balanced game
Both coaches are very good tacticians and they will probably try to annihilate each other. Both teams are coming with important missing for this game but I believe this forced attacking formation of Craiova will make Medias play very cautious. I don’t expect Craiova to lose this game and I’m willing to back the 0,25 AH with some small medium stakes.
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Prediction:
Tip: 2 AH (+0,25)
Odd: 1.88
Bookie: 188Bet
Florin Tene was confirmed as a coach at Sportul, after being the caretaker in the last 2 rounds. Still, his experience is equal to zero and the team will continue to be ruled by “stars” like Varga and Balan. This is a disgrace but it happens in the first division, especially when the owner is protecting them and he’s granting all their wishes just to have them happy and ready to be sold for some big money. Sportul is the last on the standings and I don’t see them anywhere, despite having some quality players. They have lost last round at Brasov, while two rounds ago won at home against a dull Cluj side, whose coach resigned after his players didn’t give a rats ass on what was happening on the pitch.
Capricious team
Vaslui is another problematic team. They have some awesome players but their professionalism is down bellow. Drinking problems, running from training sessions, running from the team etc. are ordinary things at Vaslui. Last week, Pancu and Burdujan were sent to the second team for some of the reasons mentioned above and this is good. If Pancu didn’t have too much time to show he’s done as a player, Burdujan destroyed many games so far. They have struggled last round against Astra but couldn’t break them. Now, Sanmartean will come back in the squad after not being convoked last round, along with defender Canu who was suspended. They also have some long term injured players but, all in all, they are able to field a more than decent first eleven.
Away win
I believe Vaslui will have too much for Sportul here and they will snatch a win in the end. The players quality is on their side, motivation the same and I doubt Sportul could trouble them in any way. The odds for the away win are decent and worthy of a small-medium stakes bet.
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Prediction:
Tip: 2
Odd: 1.89
Bookie: 12bet
Dinamo ended 5 games without a win streak with before two rounds, beating Steaua and they have built upon that success in the last round, winning with ease at Bistrita. They conceded only one goal in these 2 games which could be considered a great achievement and a sign their defensive issues are history but this is just a fake impression. Against Steaua they were defending the whole second half with all the players while Bistrita is simply lost these days. They will miss winger Torje and central defenders Moti and Garat, which means Scarlatache will play again as a central defender. He is tragic on this position, and this was agains obvious against minnows ALRO Slatina in the Cup, when they scored after his misplacement.
Soap balloon
Medias lost their good form from the beginning of the season and they are now playing defensive, trying not to concede. Eric, their goalscorer, is lacking form and this is dreadful for their scoring potential. Last round they’ve lost at home to Otelul but the scoreline could have been much bigger since, after the opener, Otelul missed many outnumbered counters. Their games without conceding are many but only looking at the stats could be deceiving since they have played against other sterile teams, who still managed to create many scoring chances but missed them with ease.
Home win
Dinamo will field an offensive team tonight, trying to break Medias’ bunker and I strongly think they will manage to do it. On the other hand, Medias has the possibility to score since Dinamo’s defense is an improvised one and the defenders are still making silly mistakes. Still, Dinamo has what it takes to win today and they could do it even by a bigger margin. Over 2,5 goals is a nice betting option but I feel a safer one is to back the AH on Dinamo. The line is quite low and it could offer us a one goal win insurance.
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Prediction:
Tip: 1 AH (-1)
Odd: 2.05
Bookie: Pinnacle
Vaslui is looking like a totally different team since old fox Viorel Hizo replaced Lopez Caro on the bench. Their secret is, according to the coach, the fact he allowed the players to play their football, without trying anything out of the ordinary. Many players who were excluded by Caro were called back and the Spanish armada was less used, and this bought more quality in their play since the Spanish players were simply amateurs so far, even if their names are David Rivas or Campano. They are on a 6 games unbeaten run and they need to build upon this. Many players are injured for Vaslui but these are long term injuries. Sanmartean, Milanov and Hugo Luz are doubtful and their presence on the pitch is questionable.
Not impressive
Branesti is a team who impresses only with the way they are treating the set pieces. They exercise a lot of schemes at their trainings and this is obvious during the game, them being the only team who doesn’t blindly throw the ball in the area after a free kick. They have scored many times so far using these schemes. They also receive a lot of cheap penalties but, besides that, they are second league material. They lost only once in their last 7 games but this simply doesn’t reflect the reality.
Home win
Vaslui are clear favorites to win this game and I believe they could even do it at a big margin. Their attacking power is simply terrific, while Branesti’s defense is amateurish most of the time. Considering, Vaslui’s potential defensive missing, I don’t rule Branesti scoring but the form of Wesley and Adailton could prove to be decisive tonight. The over is also an option but I will chose the AH since it is lower than what I was expecting, considering the recent form and the huge quality gap between the teams.
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Prediction:
Tip: 1 AH (-1,25)
Odd: 1.92
Bookie: Pinnacle
Steaua is 10 points behind leaders Otelul and this is unacceptable for a team with their ambitions, even if the gap is a realistic one considering the way both teams performed so far. They are coming after an extremely lucky draw at Utrecht and a win today is a must. Many rotations will take place in the squad, since most of the players signed from Urziceni are ineligible to play in Europe. Also, they will have their two towering strikers available (Kapetanos and Bilasco) so Stancu will play on his favorite supporting position and Surdu (who was awful against Utrecht) will get a well deserved bye.
Relegation candidates
Pandurii, despite their win against Sportul last round, are relegation contenders. They lack quality big time, their attack is blunt and their game plan is rather inexistent. A win against poor Sportul will not change these facts for sure. They will also have some defensive problems, since central defenders Chiriches (very important) and Maksumic are injured, while left back Cardoso is highly doubtful.
One way traffic game
In the past years, the games between Steaua and Pandurii were tight only because Cartu was a coach at Pandurii and he was playing ultra defensive. Now, Grigoras took charge of the team affairs before last round, and he is an offensive minded coach, whose teams failed to defend most of the time. Now, with who he could attack at Pandurii, considering their poor quality? I believe Steaua will control the game with ease and, if they will manage to score in the first half, they will easily win by 2-3 goals difference. Considering Pandurii`s impotent attack, I feel that a bet on Steaua to win to nil is a good bet.
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Prediction:
Tip: Steaua to win to nil
Odd: 1.85
Bookie: Gamebookers
Vaslui finished on third position last season and played the Cup final, so when the ambitious owner, Adrian Porumboiu, one of the reachest people from Romanian football, decided to hire the former Galacticos coach, Ramon Lopez Caro and to sign some highly rated players on summer, such as former international Daniel Pancu, former Betis Sevilla captain, David Rivas, Rodolfo Bodipo (Dep. La Coruña), Christian Pouga (Sevilla Atl.) or most famous, Adaílton (80 goals on Italian Serie A and B at Hellas Verona, Genoa and Bologna), it was no wonder that the bookies have credited them as one of the favorites for the title. However, the Lopez Caro experiment proved out to be a real fiasco, as Vaslui won just 4 games in the first 10 rounds, and was left out of the Cup and Europa League. Not surprisingly, the volcanic owner decided to separate parts with Caro and hire very experienced coach Hizo, who returns at Vaslui after 2 years.
Bad season
The defending champions are having a terrible season this term and seem unable to live up with their reputation, as they sit on the lower half of the table, with just 12 points in the first 10 rounds and an unconvincing display. There is still quality in the squad, but somehow they keep struggling to find some nice form and a winning streak. They are coming at the back of a 4-0 win, but it remains to be seen if they can improve their awful away record (2 draws and 3 defeats, 3-9 the goals line).
Pay-back time
The hosts didn`t forgot last season`s Cup final, when their dream of a first trophy came to an end as CFR won on penalties and now they will be eagerly looking to take revenge. Vaslui also won the last two mutual matches played on their home turf, and considering the fact that some of the guests` players could already be thinking at the Champions League game against mighty Bayern Munchen (next Tuesday), I see the home win as the most possible outcome.
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Prediction:
Tip: 1 AH (0)
Odd: 1.80
Bookie: Unibet
Unirea looked like a serious relegation contender after most of its players signed with other teams but it seems they have found the recipe to stay alive. Even if it’s an unorthodox manner what they are doing, it brought them success in the past games. They are playing heavy defense, a very tight 5-4-1 module and their main objective is to frustrate their opponents. They’ve made an art of time wasting and this practice is starting from the first 20 minutes most of the time. The game from Bistrita says it all, since I don’t recall in the recent years a team more unwilling to play football like Urziceni. The players were lying on the pitch for minutes, it took an eternity to make a throw in or a free kick etc. Their coach stated that after the international break he will try to make the team’s play more attractive but the general manager denied it and said this is the only way they could perform and they will stick to it. They tried to open themselves a little against Otelul and they were heavily punished so I think they’ve learned their lesson. No important missing players for the home side and right back Blay and left winger Artiom Karamyan are also available to play.
Catenaccio
Medias had a good start of the season, leaving us with the impression they are playing attacking football, like they did two seasons ago. Totally false, since they came back to their catenaccio, playing most of the times with a lone striker and a crowded midfield. Brazilian Eric scored 8 of their 13 goals so far but his late lack of form made the team suffer in attack. He has some troubles with the management regarding a future contract and this might be the main reason for his poor performances. Striker Aganovic is suspended and Pustai will have two weaker players to chose from for that position: Litu and Silvasan. None of them is a good solution since they are typical lumberjacks and their scoring ability is close to zero. Moreover, Aganovic has a lot of mobility and he is able to create spaces for the midfielders, which is not the case with the other two. Pustai might try to play Eric as a lone striker like he did few times already but this is again a bad idea since he is more a trequartista than a pure striker.
Dull game
I expect a dull game this afternoon, between two teams with offensive issues and a defensive minded approach of the game. I believe their main objective will be not to lose and they will start the game with extreme caution. The pitch from Urziceni is a little better than a potato field and this will not help football by any means. Since the bookies already reacted and the prices for the under 2,25 are a joke, I will go for a bet on draw at half time since I can’t imagine we will have too much action in the first half.
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Prediction:
Tip: HT X
Odd: 2.10
Bookie: Betway
After the big surprise against Steaua, Unirea came back on Earth at Galati last round, losing in a shameful manner. They had a lot of problems in that game and looked totally amateurish at times. Having one man more from the first half, 1-1 at half time and losing 1-4 in the end speaks alone about their performance. They managed to sign free agents Karamyan brothers, along with right back Blay (ex Dinamo and Inter Curtea de Arges) and they are still looking for more free players, since the youngsters from Steaua II are simply second to third league material.
Bad streak
Dinamo is in a mess right now, but when they weren’t in the past years? They are without a win in their last 3 league games, last round losing at home to Vaslui, after they were 1 goal up. They had a useful training in the midweek against Ceahlaul in the Romanian Cup, winning 2-0 after a mediocre performance but also without pushing too much. Except playmaker Adrian Cristea who is injured, they don’t have any important squad problems.
Away win
I believe it is the right time for Dinamo to sober up and stop wasting points against weaker opponents. It is difficult to tell which Unirea we will see tomorrow: the one who played against Steaua or the one from Galati. Anyway, either way, Dinamo has the offensive weapons to break the bunker they built against Steaua and, if they will play like they did against Otelul, Dinamo won’t even have to push too much for the win. The price for the AW is still decent and I am willing to take it with some medium stakes.
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Prediction:
Tip: 2
Odd: 1.78
Bookie: SBOBet
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