The first match of the second qualifying round of the 2025/26 Conference League between Ararat-Armenia (Armenia) and Universitatea Cluj (Romania) will take place on July 24 at the Armenia Football Academy Stadium in Yerevan. Ararat-Armenia vs. Universitatea Cluj: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Ararat-Armenia
The team earned the right to play in the Conference League by finishing second in the last Armenian championship. This is their fourth appearance in this European competition, with their best result coming last season when they reached the third qualifying round.
During the off-season, Portuguese coach Tulipa was appointed as the new head coach of Ararat-Armenia.
- More than two goals have not been scored in 4 of the last 5 home matches of the club in the Conference League.
- The team has not won 8 of their last 9 European home games (6 draws, 2 losses).
- Ararat-Armenia has not scored more than once at home in 6 of their last 7 international matches.
Predicted lineup for Ararat-Armenia (4-2-1-3)
Henrikh Avagyan – Alexander Pavlovets, Edgar Grigoryan, Junior Julio, Kamo Hovhannisyan – Karen Muradyan, Hovhannes Harutyunyan – Jonathan Alexander Duarte Duran – Marius Noubissi, Armen Ambartsumyan, Tenton Yenne.
Universitatea Cluj
In last year's Romanian championship, the club finished fourth, earning them a spot in the Conference League. This will be their first European experience in the 21st century, with their last international appearance in the 1972/73 season. The new national championship season has already begun, and the club secured a resounding victory in the first round.
- In 8 of the last 11 away matches in the championship, there was no exchange of goals.
- Universitatea Cluj has conceded in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Superliga.
- The team has scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 8 national championship matches.
Predicted lineup for Universitatea Cluj (4-3-1-2)
Stefan Lefter – Elio Capradossi, Andrei Artyan, Iulian Cristea, Alexandru Chipciu – Ovidiu Bic, Dan Nistor, Alessandro Murgia – Mamadou Thiam – Issouf Macalou, Jovo Lukic.
Referee
Dmitry Dmitriev (Belarus)
Matches – 5 (International matches, 2022/23–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 20%.
Ararat-Armenia vs. Universitatea Cluj: Match Prediction
The Armenians have consistently participated in the Conference League qualifiers in recent seasons. In their last five home matches in this tournament, the team has not conceded more than one goal. Moreover, this has been the case in 10 of their last 13 European home matches. It's worth noting that Ararat-Armenia has a new coach who has yet to lead an official match. In my opinion, he is unlikely to take risks and play open football, leaving space in defense.
Universitatea Cluj will play their first European match in 50 years, which may affect the players' confidence, especially in an away game. It is unlikely that the Romanian club will play aggressively from the start. Moreover, even in the national championship, the team has not scored more than one goal in their last eight games.
Considering all this, I suggest the prediction: Universitatea Cluj individual total under 1.5 goals
