Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia prediction: teams form analysis, possible lineups on August 20, 2026
Europa League
In the Europa League qualification final on August 20, 2026, Universitatea Craiova and Ararat-Armenia will play the first leg. The hosts are determined to claim victory.
Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia: Team News and Expert Analysis
The club from Craiova reclaimed the championship—its previous title was secured back in the 1990s. In addition, they won the domestic cup on penalties and, in the summer, triumphed in the country’s Super Cup. However, their start to the new league campaign has been mixed: in five rounds, they have two wins and two losses. The team from Yerevan became champions for the first time in five years. This season, they have also won all three of their initial domestic matches.
The Romanians had a chance to prove themselves in the Champions League. The results were mixed: while they did defeat their first opponent, ML Vitebsk, twice, they then scored one goal fewer than Levski, following a narrow defeat in Bulgaria and a 2-2 home draw. In the Europa League, however, they showed resilience against KuPS, earning a hard-fought 2-1 home win after a 1-1 draw in Finland.
The Armenians also began in the main European competition and performed better than their current opponents. They managed to beat both Riga (2-0 at home and 2-3 away) and Shamrock Rovers (2-0 at home, 1-2 in Ireland). However, they fell just one goal short against Celje: after a 2-1 home win, they tried to hold a goalless draw but conceded in the 83rd and 85th minutes.
Previous Matches: Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia
This will be the very first encounter between these teams.
The visitors tend to struggle away from home. The prediction is for a "home" win with a "-1 goal" handicap (odds – 1.71).
Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia: Key Statistics and Trends
- Universitatea Craiova have won just one of their last four European matches
- On average, Universitatea Craiova score two goals and concede 1.4 goals per match
- 40% of Universitatea Craiova's matches see both teams score, with an average total of 3.4 goals per game
- Ararat-Armenia have won three of their six Champions League matches, losing only the last one
- On average, Ararat-Armenia score 2.67 goals and concede 1.33 goals per game
- 67% of Ararat-Armenia's matches feature goals from both teams, with an average total of 4.0 goals per match
Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia: Probable Line-ups
Universitatea Craiova play in a 1-3-4-3 formation (probable line-up): Popescu – Rus, Romanchuk, Screciu – Bancu, Mekvabishvili, Cicaldau, Mora – Bayaram, Matei, Nsima
Ararat-Armenia use a 1-4-1-4-1 formation (probable line-up): Bravim – Grigoryan, Malis, Wilson, Bueno – Muradyan – Banjaki, Oliveira, Tera, Serobyan – Lima
Bet on the upcoming match and follow the team's performance in the Europa League qualification standings
