Universitatea Craiova vs Levski Sofia - prediction, team news, lineups

Universitatea Craiova invited Levski Sofia to the Ion Oblemenco Stadium successful Craiova, Romania, for the 2nd limb of the UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying circular connected Wednesday.

The winners of the necktie volition beforehand to the 3rd qualifying circular of the UEFA Champions League, portion the losers volition driblet into the 3rd qualifying circular of the UEFA Europa League.

Match preview

Universitatea Craiova are 90 minutes distant from 1 of the astir important matches of their play arsenic the Romanian champions invited Levski Sofia connected Wednesday successful the 2nd limb of their UEFA Champions League 2nd qualifying circular tie, looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg decision successful Bulgaria.

Filipe Coelho's broadside began their Champions League qualifying run successful the archetypal round, wherever they defeated Belarusian outfit ML Vitebsk 5-1 connected aggregate aft signaling a 4-1 distant triumph earlier sealing progression with a 1-0 location win.

Victory connected Wednesday would nonstop the Romanian champions into the 3rd qualifying circular of the contention and besides warrant them a minimum spot successful the aboriginal stages of the UEFA Europa League, careless of their results successful the remaining Champions League qualifying rounds.

Defeat, however, would spot Universitatea Craiova driblet into the Europa League qualifiers, wherever they would look Sabah FC, who eliminated KuPS Kuopio 3-0 connected aggregate aft winning the 2nd limb 2-0, for a spot successful the competition's playoff round.

Craiova caput into the contention aft a dense 5-1 home decision to Dinamo Bucuresti past weekend, though the effect came aft Coelho rotated respective cardinal players and saw his broadside reduced to 10 men during the archetypal half.

The 2 clubs person met lone erstwhile before, with Levski Sofia claiming a constrictive triumph successful past week's archetypal leg.

Levski Sofia get successful fantabulous signifier aft opening the caller Bulgarian Parva Liga play with 2 wins from 2 matches and adding different 2 victories successful Champions League qualifying.

The Blues started their European run successful the archetypal qualifying round, wherever they eased past Bosnian broadside Borac 5-1 connected aggregate to publication their spot successful the 2nd round.

Julio Velazquez's men are unbeaten successful their past 12 matches crossed each competitions, signaling 8 victories and 4 draws, including a tally of 5 wins and 3 draws successful 8 competitory fixtures, portion their past decision came successful a 1-0 location nonaccomplishment to Ludogorets connected May 9.

Levski volition besides beryllium without their travelling supporters successful Romania aft disciplinary enactment prevented distant fans from attending the 2nd limb pursuing incidents during the first-round travel to Banja Luka.

The lack of their distant enactment removes what would usually beryllium a important backing arsenic the visitors effort to support their slender first-leg advantage.

Universitatea Craiova Champions League form:

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Universitatea Craiova form (all competitions):

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Levski Sofia Champions League form:

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Levski Sofia signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Coelho rotated his squad during past weekend's decision to Dinamo București and is expected to reconstruct respective first-team regulars, with Stefan Baiaram apt to instrumentality to the starting lineup, portion Simon Elisor, who featured successful the archetypal leg, is pushing to clasp his place.

Universitatea Craiova volition stay without goalkeeper Pavlo Isenko and Alexandru Iamandache arsenic some players proceed their recoveries from injury.

For the visitors, Serginho and Reinaldo inspired a comeback triumph implicit Lokomotiv Sofia past weekend, with substitute Reinaldo equalising earlier mounting up Serginho for the winner.

The trio of Stipe Vulikic, Asen Mitkov and Radoslav Kirilov stay unavailable owed to fittingness issues.

Universitatea Craiova possible starting lineup:

Popescu; Romanchuk, Rus, Screciu; Mora, Mekvabishvili, Cicaldau, Bancu; Monday, Elisor, Baiaram

Levski Sofia imaginable starting lineup:

Vutsov; Aldair, Dimitrov, Serafimov, Maicon; Bouras, Serginho, Moubarik, Reinaldo; Oko-Flex, Bala 

We say: Universitatea Craiova 0-0 Levski Sofia

This is expected to beryllium a precise keenly contested fixture with some sides hoping to marque it done to the adjacent circular of qualification.

Levski Sofia are defensively resilient, and they volition beryllium hoping to support retired the hosts with a compact, disciplined block, portion aiming to origin harm with their counterattacks, portion Universitatea volition propulsion for a triumph successful beforehand of their supporters, it looks similar a crippled that volition extremity successful a draw.

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