Universitatea Craiova vs KuPS prediction: teams form analysis, possible lineups on August 13, 2026
Europa League
In the Europa League qualification semi-finals on August 13, 2026, Universitatea Craiova and KuPS will play the second leg. The winner will advance further.
Universitatea Craiova vs KuPS: Team News and Expert Analysis
The club from Craiova claimed their first league title since 1991 this spring. Additionally, they beat their "namesakes" from Cluj-Napoca in the cup, and in the summer also won the Super Cup. However, they suffered a heavy defeat in the league as early as the second round. After defeating Petrolul, they narrowly lost to Argeș. In the Champions League, after comfortably knocking out ML Vitebsk (4-1 formally away, 1-0 at home), they scored one goal less than Levski, finishing with a 2-2 home draw following a 0-1 loss in Bulgaria.
The team from Kuopio were, once again, domestic champions in 2024-2025. Currently, they are trying to stay top of the Veikkausliiga and have gradually pulled away from rivals led by Inter Turku. In the Champions League, they managed to eliminate Vardar, but after a 2-0 win in North Macedonia, they conceded twice at home and only managed a satisfactory 2-3 result in extra time. However, they then lost to Sabah without scoring in both matches: 0-1 in Azerbaijan, 0-2 at home.
In Finland, the visitors opened the scoring before halftime. The hosts managed to equalize in the second half, with the match eventually ending 1-1.
Previous Meetings: Universitatea Craiova vs KuPS
Only the first head-to-head match was played last week.
The Romanians were not worse away from home. Here, a confident win is expected, with a "-1 goal" handicap bet (odds – 1.65).
Universitatea Craiova vs KuPS: Key Statistics and Trends
- Universitatea Craiova have won just one of their last five matches
- The club scored an average of 1.63 goals per match, conceding almost half as many – 0.83
- 43% of Universitatea Craiova’s matches end with goals from both teams, with an average total of 2.45 goals per match
- KuPS have lost three consecutive European matches
- On average, KuPS score 1.83 goals and concede 0.89 goals per match
- 61% of KuPS matches end with goals from both teams and an average of 2.72 total goals per match
Universitatea Craiova vs KuPS: Probable Starting Lineups
Universitatea Craiova play in a 1-3-4-3 formation (probable lineup): Popescu – Stevanović, Rus, Screciu, Bancu – Cîcâldău, Mekvabishvili, Mora – Bayaram, Nsimba, Etim
KuPS play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Riihimäki – Antwi, Adams, Magassa, Puukko – Toure, Gask – Arma, Yuryu, Luyeye-Lutumba – Moreno
Place your bets on the upcoming match and follow the team's progress in the Europa League qualification standings
