Steaua Bucharest and Rigas FS are scheduled to meet in the first round of the new Europa League season on Thursday, 26 September.
Will the hosts get an important win at the start as the clear favourites or will Rigas FS cause another upset this season? Read our FCSB vs Rigas FS prediction to find out, but don't forget to also check our other Europa League betting tips.
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FCSB vs Rigas FS prediction: Hosts to notch a minimal win
Key Stats
- Rigas FS have lost three of their six games in Europe so far.
- FCSB have gone under 2.5 total goals in six of their last seven games across the board.
Correct score prediction: FCSB 1-0 Rigas FS
While Rigas FS have been able to score goals in Europe this season, it's safe to say that they didn't meet with a team of Steaua's caliber, except for their tie against Bodo/Glimt, when they scored one goal in two games. So, we can see FCSB keeping a clean sheet here and earning a minimal win on the back of it.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Bookies favourite FCSB
- HOME: 8/15 (1.53) – 65.20%
- DRAW: 29/10 (3.90) – 25.60%
- AWAY: 9/2 (5.50) – 18.20%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
We can see from these FCSB vs Rigas FS odds that the hosts are the expected winners and it isn't really close, which is not too surprising given that Steaua are the better team on paper and hosting the game.
On top of this, FCSB are also in good form lately. However, Rigas FS are also doing well with four wins in a row and they might be able to put up a fight in this game.
In any case, if you like our tips for this game, remember to also take a look at our top betting tips for today.
Most recent H2Hs: First time to meet ever
This will be the first-ever duel between these two teams and it will be the first time for FCSB to meet with a team from Latvia. On the other hand, Rigas FS have played a team from Romania once before, back in 1997, when they lost 3-0 to Universitatea Craiova.
FCSB preview: Hoping to extend their good run of form
In the last four matches, FCSB have notched a couple of wins and draws each, so they've been doing well recently. That being said, this season on a whole so far has been a bit of a mixed bag for Steaua since they were eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers and have struggled in their domestic championship too, where they're currently 13th in the standings.
Meanwhile, Siyabonga Ngezana and Mihai Lixandru are on the team's injury list ahead of this match.
Predicted lineup: Tarnovanu (GK), Cretu, Popescu, Dawa, Radunovic, Sut, Alhassan, Baluta, Olaru, Miculescu & Tanase
UEFA Europa League 03/10/24 W PAOK Salonika 0 FCSB 1 Romania Liga I 29/09/24 W ACS Sepsi 0 FCSB 1 UEFA Europa League 26/09/24 W Rigas FS 1 FCSB 4 Romania Liga I 21/09/24 D Petrolul Ploiesti 1 FCSB 1 Romania Liga I 15/09/24 D CFR Cluj 2 FCSB 2
Rigas FS preview: Hoping for a debut from dreams
To the surprise of many, Rigas FS were able to secure their place in the Europa League with a win over APOEL after penalties, in the final round of the qualifiers. This will be the first time for RFS to play in a group stage of Europa League and the second-ever time that we see a Latvian team here. While they will have a tough task against FCSB in Romania, they enter this game on a four-game winning streak.
When it comes to team news, Darko Lemajic, Ismael Diomande, Emerson Deocleciano, and Petr Mares are all out with injuries.
Predicted lineup: Ondoa (GK), Prenga, Balodis, Lipuscek, Savalnieks, Markhiyev, Panic, Odisharia, Ikaunieks, Ndjiki & Kouadio
UEFA Europa League 03/10/24 D Galatasaray 2 Rigas FS 2 Latvia Virsliga 30/09/24 W FK Jelgava 0 Rigas FS 2 UEFA Europa League 26/09/24 L FCSB 4 Rigas FS 1 Latvia Cup 23/09/24 W Riga FC 1 Rigas FS 2 Latvia Virsliga 20/09/24 W FK Liepaja 0 Rigas FS 2
