Tuesday, July 9, starting at 14:00, FC Astana will meet CFR Cluj in the preliminaries of the Champions League.
The winner of the title in the last 5 years, FC Astana, is the leader in the domestic championship with a total of 38 points after the first 19 rounds, on the same footing with Tobol, the team having two less played matches. It is worth noting that the band at which Rotariu evolves does not seem as strong as the previous seasons. Over the past two years, FC Astana has broken away from many important players, and here I remember Nemanja Maksimovic left free of contract in Valencia, but also the African strikers Patrick Twumasi (Alaves) and Junior Kabananga (Al-Nassr).
On the other side, CFR Cluj comes after Saturday’s defeat of FC Viitorul in the Super Cup of Romania, waiting for a long way to Astana and playing on synthetic ground. Moreover, the “trainers” will not have George Tucudean, the scorer of the last edition of the championship.
So, at first glance, things are not good for Dan Petrescu’s team, but FC Astana is not as strong as in the previous seasons. Most likely, both coaches will be primarily concerned not to lose and there are chances to see a very spectacular match.
PREDICTION: FC Astana to win @ 2,10
