Will the visitors defend their lead from the first leg?
Sometimes theory and practice are worlds apart. On paper, the FCSB vs. Shkendija tip should be a clear-cut affair in favor of the hosts. However, a poor start to the season and a defeat in the first leg (0-1) have changed the outlook for the FCSB – Shkendija prediction.
The visitors have never participated in the main round of a European competition. The Ballists have never come closer to an appearance than in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons (both qualifying rounds for the Europa League). According to the FCSB vs. Shekndija betting odds, this is unlikely to change for the time being.
FCSB – Statistics & current form
After winning the title in the 2015 season, the Romanian record champions have not won a national championship in eight consecutive seasons. Elias Charalambous was tasked with remedying this flaw in 2023. The 44-year-old withstood the pressure and has since added two championship titles to the club’s trophy cabinet.
In addition, the Blue and Reds also impressed on the international stage last season, advancing to the round of 16 in the Europa League. During the group stage, Charalambous’s side suffered only two defeats in eight games. This was followed by two victories against PAOK Saloniki in the intermediate round (2-1, 2-0), before Lyon proved too strong (1-3, 0-4).
The home side are still a long way from this level in our FCSB – Shkendija prediction. The national competition has already begun. With only four points from three games and a goal difference of 3:3, the 28-time Romanian champions are off to a poor start.
Lack of ideas in the FCSB offense
Charalambous is sticking to his 4-2-3-1 system, as he did in the previous two seasons. However, in the early stages of this new season, the Ros-albastrii’s attacking play lacks spirit and creativity. Even though reputable bookmakers such as Bwin strongly favor the Romanian team, we would check out the FCSB – Shkendija odds on handicap bets in favor of the visitors.
From our perspective, the FCSB vs Skendija odds of 1.80 for “FCSB Under 2.5 Goals” offer obvious value that no one should pass up. In six of their seven competitive games so far this season, the Ros-albastrii have scored a maximum of two goals.
Most recently, the Romanian record champions have been completely out of form, losing three of their last four matches. In addition, Charalambous’s side have scored a maximum of one goal in their previous five appearances. During their most recent defeat (1-2 vs. Farul Constanta), the Romanian record champions only created chances worth 0.44 xG.
Predicted line-up:
Tarnovanu – Cretu, Ngezana, Popescu, Radunovic – Sut, Chiriches – Miculescu, Olaru, Cisotti – Stoian
Shkendija – Statistics & current form
Intensity characterized the first qualifying round for the team from North Macedonia. Both matches against The New Saints (Wales) ended in a draw in regular time (0-0, 1-1). It was only in extra time of the second leg that the Red and Blacks scored the decisive goal to advance to the second qualifying round.
At 43, Jeton Bekjiri is already in his third spell as coach of Crveno-Crni. During his current tenure, the team has played 58 games (2.00 points per game) and secured the fifth championship in the club’s history last season.
This allows the Ballists to participate in the Champions League qualifiers for the fifth time. The journey has not gone further than the third round so far. Following their last qualifying appearances in the 2021/22 season, the North Macedonians tried their luck four times in the Conference League qualifiers – also without much success (maximum third round).
Shkendija can dream
The first leg was fairly even between the two sides. Although the Crveno-Crni squad is worth only a tenth of the value of Charalambous’s team, the Ballists won the first match (1-0). Adamu Alhassan headed in from a cross from the right half of the field to score the much-celebrated winning goal.
In their three qualifying games so far, the visitors have conceded only one goal. The 1.42 expected goals conceded in the first leg were due more to the number of shots on goal (19) than the quality of those attempts (five shots on target).
We do not rule out a narrow away defeat, but we do not expect a defeat by several goals. The visitors are in too good form at the moment. Shkendija are unbeaten in five games and can defend a lead from the first leg. The pressure is definitely on the Romanian hosts.
Predicted line-up:
Gaye – Trumci, Cake, Fetai, Webster – Ramadani, Alhassan – Tamba, Krasniqi, Krstevski – Ibraimi
FCSB – Shkendija Head-to-head record / H2H record
The two opponents have not yet faced each other before the first leg (1-0 win for Shkendija). In the past, however, the Ballisten have had positive experiences against Romanian teams. In 2020/21, Botosani were beaten 1-0 in the Europa League qualifiers.
FCSB – Shkendija Macedonia Tip
The home side will probably take control of the game from the start and enjoy a high percentage of possession. Shkendija has defended extremely solidly in the current competition so far, allowing their opponents few clear-cut chances. The visitors’ confidence is likely to be high after their success in the first leg.
FCSB, on the other hand, has lacked conviction in its own abilities in its first competitive games of the season, which is why we do not expect a landslide victory for the Romanian record champions. Our FCSB vs. Shkendija tip is: “FCSB Under 2.5 Goals” with odds of 1.80 at Interwetten.
