Young Boys need to score points
Our two protagonists have had mixed fortunes in the Europa League so far. While the hosts celebrated a victory, the Swiss suffered a clear defeat at home. For the upcoming match between FCSB and Young Boys, the tip on Bucharest is rewarded with odds of 2.35 in the Bet365 mobile app. A home win would put the Romanians in a brilliant position to secure at least a place in the playoffs. The visitors are already under pressure to avoid a false start.
The hosts won their 28th national championship last season. This season, however, the Romanians are far behind their expectations. After eleven match days, the Blue and Reds have just two wins and four draws to their name. Their total of ten points is currently only enough for eleventh place in the standings, which would mean relegation in the final reckoning. To be in contention for the championship again, they must at least reach sixth place.
For the Swiss, last weekend could hardly have gone better. In the top match, the Yellow-Blacks defeated FC Thun themselves, and leaders St. Gallen also dropped points. As a result, head coach Giorgio Contini’s team is currently in second place, just one point behind the leaders, but there is more pressure in the FCSB vs. Young Boys prediction.
The momentum must now be carried over into the Europa League, because after the opening defeat, points are urgently needed. However, bookmaker Interwetten sees the visitors at FCSB against Young Boys odds of 2.85 as the underdogs.
FCSB – Young Boys Head-to-head record / H2H record
The only two competitive matches between these two teams date back to 1979. At that time, Steaua Bucharest’s predecessor club advanced to the next round with a 2-2 draw in Bern and a 6-0 win in front of their own fans. We don’t expect such a clear-cut result this Thursday.
FCSB – Young Boys Tip
The hosts have made a brilliant start to the league phase. They secured a 1-0 victory at Go Ahead Eagles Deventer, even though the Dutch side had a much higher xG value of 1.39 than the Bucharest team, who only managed 0.66. A shot ratio of 17:8 also did not favor the Blue and Reds. FCSB has one of the weakest defenses in the Romanian Superliga. Only two teams have conceded more goals. The offense is also only average, with 13 goals scored.
The 2024 Swiss champions suffered a bitter home defeat in their European competition opener. Panathinaikos Athens won 4-1 in the end. This was surprising, as the xG values of 1.73:1.25 favored the Bernese. Only one of their 19 shots on goal was converted into a goal. In the Swiss Super League, the yellow and blacks have the second most dangerous offense with 14 goals from seven games.
Even though the Romanians have not had a good start to the league season, the Ros-Albastrii caused a big surprise in the Europa League with their victory on the first matchday. Head coach Elias Charalambous’s team has been successful in front of their own fans for two competitive games, winning both matches. We believe they can take a big step towards the knockout stages on Thursday and recommend betting on a home win in the FCSB vs. Young Boys game, with odds of 2.45 from the tested bookmaker Interwetten.
The visitors will have to take some risks in this match. After their opening defeat, there is no reason to be too cautious. Two defeats at the start would be a heavy burden for the remaining games. We expect the Swiss to play offensively and for there to be a few goals. Therefore, between FCSB and Young Boys, at odds of 1.83, betting on at least three goals is a good alternative.
