U Craiova vs KuPS – News and Probable Lineups

Universitatea Craiova will host KuPS at the Stadionul Ion Oblemenco on Thursday evening, marking the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie.

After a first-half goal from Stefan Baiaram, Keltamusta’s Jaime Jose Moreno Ciorciari scored in the second half of last week’s initial leg, resulting in a decisive match awaiting in Craiova.

Match overview

With Univ Craiova limiting KuPS to a mere single shot on target in their previous encounter, they might feel disappointed to not have returned with an advantage from the away match, though they maintain confidence in their chances to advance from this fixture.

While the club has only progressed beyond the third qualifying round a handful of times in the past, Filipe Coelho’s squad has experienced significant success in the recent history of Alb-albastrii, securing their first Superliga title in 35 years last season, and they’ll be eager to follow this achievement with a spot in the main Europa League competition.

Nevertheless, with just one victory in their last six fixtures, which included being eliminated from the Champions League qualifying rounds, Univ Craiova has had a sluggish start to their 2025-26 season, currently occupying the sixth position in the league with six points, trailing leaders FC Arges by three points after four games.

If they are to address their recent challenges and move past a European qualification stage for the second consecutive season, having edged past Istanbul Basaksehir to secure their place in last year’s Conference League, Alb-albastrii will need to create history by defeating Finnish opposition for the first time on Thursday evening.

After a challenging match last week where they struggled to create significant opportunities, KuPS will be grateful that Moreno Ciorciari’s header in the second half keeps them very much in contention for Europa League qualification as they head to Craiova.

Despite having participated in the qualification phase of the tournament in five out of the previous eight seasons, Keltamusta has yet to reach the tournament finals, but after claiming consecutive league titles, the Finnish club is growing more optimistic about their chances this season.

Though they dropped points at home against a struggling TPS Turku side on Sunday, Miika Nuutinen’s squad remains undefeated in their last 13 Veikkausliiga encounters, taking the top spot in the standings with 40 points, needing just four more to clinch a third consecutive title.

With no wins in their last three encounters against Romanian teams, KuPS will hope to replicate their recent domestic success on the continent and improve on the initial European qualification they achieved last season in the Conference League.

Team News

Univ Craiova will continue to be without goalkeeper Pavlo Isenko and midfielder Alexandru Iamandache, who have both been sidelined for an extended period due to knee injuries.

While it is anticipated that the hosts will field a lineup similar to that of the first leg, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see striker Assad Al Hamlawi reintroduced to the starting XI after returning from injury last week.

After serving a one-match suspension against TPS Turku, Ghanian forward Bob Armah is likely to return to the starting lineup for KuPS, forming a front line that will almost certainly include both Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba and Moreno Ciorciari as well.

However, there remains uncertainty regarding the return of either Samuel Pasanen or Jerry Voutilainen, who both missed Sunday’s match and are still unavailable for selection in the Keltamusta midfield.

Universitatea Craiova probable starting XI:

Popescu; Rus, Stevanovic, Screciu; Mora, Cicaldau, Mekvabishvili, Bank; Etim, Al Hamlawi, Baiaram

KuPS probable starting XI:

Riihimaki; Pucko, Magassa, Adams, Anthony; Gasc, Jerry, Touray; Luyeye-Fight, Brown Ciorciari, Armah

While they have found far more success than their counterparts in their recent league outings, KuPS enters Thursday’s clash as underdogs to advance from this tie.

The Finnish team did well to come back after trailing last week; however, it is believed that Univ Craiova will possess too much quality in attacking areas for Miika Nuutinen’s side this time and secure their place in the final round.