Preview: FCSB vs Drita – prediction, team news, lineups

After both slipped down to the Europa League qualifiers, Romanian giants FCSB will meet Drita for the first leg of their third round tie on Thursday.

The Bucharest club followed their Kosovan counterparts out of the Champions League last month, so they must now fight it out to meet Aberdeen in the UEL playoffs.

Match preview

Despite striking first, FCSB failed to overturn a deficit when hosting Shkendija in the second leg of their recent Champions League qualifier, exiting Europe’s top competition with a 3-1 defeat on aggregate.

A goal down from the first meeting in North Macedonia, the Romanian champions were given hope by Juri Cisotti‘s 28th-minute opener, but they ultimately let that lead slip and lost both legs.

Having only scraped past Andorran minnows Inter Club d’Escaldes with a 3-2 aggregate win in round one, it has been an unconvincing start to the new season for a club steeped in European history. 

European Cup winners in their former guise as Steaua Bucharest, FCSB are struggling to live up to that lofty status this term, losing five of eight games so far.

Elias Charalambous – whose team topped both Romania’s regular season and championship round standings last season, finishing nine points clear of closest rivals CFR Cluj – started their latest league campaign with a last-gasp draw against Hermannstadt.

Since then, they have accrued just three more points from as many SuperLiga matches, most recently going down to city rivals Dinamo Bucharest in a seven-goal thriller.

Meanwhile, Drita’s domestic campaign has yet to kick off, so their only competitive action this summer has come in UEFA competition.

The Kosovan club began by beating Luxembourg’s Differdange to make the second round of Champions League qualifying, where they came up against Danish heavyweights Copenhagen.

Following a 2-0 away defeat, Drita then lost again on home turf after going down to 10 men, tamely exiting 3-0 on aggregate over two legs. 

The current and four-time national champions will continue their latest continental adventure in the Europa League, so a first league-phase appearance remains possible.

Zekirija Ramadani‘s side now hope to take advantage of FCSB’s recent slump and establish a precious first-leg lead, ahead of next week’s return in Pristina.

FCSB form (all competitions): L W L L L L

Drita form (all competitions): W W L L

Team News

FCSB can call upon Octavian Popescu in midweek, as the winger made his comeback from injury in Saturday’s derby defeat, but several players will still be missing.

Florin Tanase – who scored a hat-trick in the loss to Dinamo – and South African centre-back Siyabonga Ngezana are both suspended, while captain Darius Olaru is struggling with a muscular problem.

In better news for Elias Charalambous, goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu is available after serving a domestic ban last weekend. Daniel Birligea should start up front; former Manchester United youth-teamer Dennis Politic recently signed for the club and could also feature.

Meanwhile, Drita must do without key midfielder Liridon Balaj, who was sent off in the second leg against Copenhagen.

With four goals in 13 UEFA competition fixtures – including three so far this season – Arb Manaj is set to lead the visitors’ attack.

FCSB possible starting lineup: Tarnovanu; Cretu, Graovac, M. Popescu, Radunovic; Chiriches, Sut; Miculescu, O. Popescu, Cisotti; Birligea

Drita possible starting lineup: Maloku; Be. Krasniqi, Bejtulai, Mesa, Ovouka; Broja, Dabiqaj; Ajzeraj, Bl. Krasniqi, Limaj; Manaj

We say: FCSB 2-0 Drita

Even if FCSB are not firing on all cylinders, their attack boasts far more variety than Drita’s, so the hosts should expect to score more than once.

After faltering against so-called lesser sides this summer, they will surely go all out in front of their own fans and avoid any complacency.

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