Thursday, at 17:00, CFR Cluj will fight Armas Alashkert, in a duel for the first leg of the Preliminary Round 3 of the UEFA Europa League.
Dramatic drops in odds for the victory of Cluj.
Frustratingly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League preliminaries after starting with an attitude on the return to the Swedes from Malmo, CFR Cluj has to concentrate on the European League at this moment, being just two rounds away from the group stage. The “railroad” opponent is as approachable as the teams against which the FCSB (vs. Hajduk Split), but especially CS “U” Craiova (RBLeipzig) will play. In fact, we think Toni Conceicao’s band could solve the equation of qualification from the tour of Armenia.
Alashkert entered the tournament in round 2, eliminating the Sutjeska Montenegrins, 1-0 in general. This time, however, they had bad luck at the draw. Based not only on the indisputable value difference between the two groups, but also on CFR’s pride to wash off his sins after being eliminated in front of Malmo, there is a high chance of witnessing the success of Conceicao’s band, a huge step in the perspective of the Cluj players’ qualification in the UEL play-off.
Given the circumstances of this game, we expect a solid evolution of CFR. The Cluj players showed a generous offensive disposition including the last round of the championship against Concordia (2-1) and the opponent on Thursday evening, although it will evolve on its own ground, it is hard to believe that it can compensate enough to mask the imbalance value. Consequently, we believe in a victory of the Cluj, one that will facilitate their easy way to the UEFA Europa League play-off.
PREDICTION: CFR Cluj to win @ 1.50
