CFR Cluj take on the visitors UTA Arad in the round 28 match of Romanian Liga 1. The match will be played on Thursday, February 2nd at Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu (Cluj-Napoca).
CFR Cluj had a successful start to the second half of the season, with important victories over Farul (3-0) away and Voluntari (1-0) at home. However, subsequent defeats and the stability of the league leaders have prevented them from taking the top spot in the table. Last week, they were eliminated from the Europa League, although they looked good in their confrontation with Lazio (losing 0-1 on aggregate) and now Dan Petrescu's team will focus on the championship, as there are only a few games left until the championship playoff and they must beat opponents like UTA Arad. The hosts are only 5 points behind the leaders with one match less played and a possible victory in this match will allow to get as close as two points to the first position.
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UTA Arad is a relatively new addition to the Romanian top league and is having its weakest season. While they finished eighth in the previous regular season, they are now second to last and have to fight to avoid relegation. Although they often manage to pick up points against weaker opponents, they usually lose to teams in the top half of the table in away matches, as was the case in their defeats to Farul (0-2), Steaua (1-2), and Rapid (0-1). UTA are absolutely the worst team in term of performances on the road: there was only one win in 13 away matches with 8 points gained away from home.
CFR Cluj have been eliminated from European competition and will now focus on defending their league title. Petrescu's team undoubtedly wants to catch up with or at least not fall too far behind Farul. Against opponents like UTA Arad at home, they should be able to win, considering the difference in ambition and experience. Today’s hosting side showed that they are in good shape in their match against Lazio and in the previous round they beat Petrolul 5-2, with 12 shots on target, so the visitors may be in for a tough time.
Prediction for the match: CFR Cluj to win with -1.0 handicap.
