The Matchday 8 encounter in the 2024/25 Europa League group stage between FCSB (Romania) and Manchester United (England) will take place on January 30 at the National Arena in Bucharest. FCSB vs. Manchester United: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
FCSB
The Romanians defeated Qarabag in the last round, achieving this feat away from home (3-2). Prior to that, the team had not lost or conceded in three consecutive group stage matches: they handled Midtjylland at home (2-0), drew with Olympiacos (0-0), and shared the spoils away to Hoffenheim (0-0). This unbeaten run has allowed them to qualify for the playoffs, with a good chance of progressing directly to the round of 16, but they need to win in the final round.
- In their last nine matches in this tournament, the club has suffered only one defeat (5 wins and 3 draws).
- At least one team failed to score in 5 of FCSB's last 6 Europa League matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 7 of the Romanians' last 10 games in this European competition.
Predicted lineup for FCSB (4-2-3-1)
Ștefan Târnovanu – Risto Radunović, Siyabonga Ngezana, Joyskim Dawa, Valentin Crețu – Adrian Șut, Baba Alhassan – Florin Tănase, Marius Ștefănescu, David Miculescu – Daniel Bîrligea.
Midfielders Octavian Popescu, Mihai Lixandru, and Darius Olaru, defender Vlad Chiricheș, and forward William Baeten will miss the match due to injuries.
Manchester United
After three consecutive draws at the start of the group stage, the Red Devils have put together a series of four victories. Three of these wins came at Old Trafford, while they managed to overcome Viktoria Plzeň away (2-1). The English side defeated Rangers at home by the same scoreline in the last round, securing their place in the next round of the European competition. A win in the upcoming match will ensure their progression directly to the round of 16 in the Europa League.
- Both teams have scored in 6 of Manchester United's last 7 matches in this tournament.
- In the last nine Europa League matches for the Red Devils, fewer than two goals have never been scored.
- In their last four matches in this European competition, the club has drawn in the first half and won in the second half.
Predicted lineup for Manchester United (3-4-3)
Altay Bayındır – Leni Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez – Diogo Dalot, Amad Diallo, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen – Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee.
Defenders Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans, as well as midfielder Mason Mount, are out due to injuries. Forward Marcus Rashford is not included in the squad for the game. Midfielder Manuel Ugarte's participation is doubtful.
Referee
Harm Osmers (Germany)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 32;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 50%.
FCSB vs. Manchester United: Match Prediction
Despite both clubs already securing their place in the next round of the Europa League, they have a good opportunity to avoid additional playoff matches and advance directly to the round of 16. Therefore, both teams, in my opinion, will aim to perform as well as possible in the upcoming encounter. This means that the opponents are unlikely to sit back in defense and will focus more on attacking actions.
The Romanians have decent records at home in the Europa League, rarely losing and seldom leaving the field without scoring. In their last 20 home matches in this tournament, FCSB failed to score only four times. Meanwhile, the Red Devils have scored in 17 of their last 18 away games in this European competition. Therefore, I prefer the prediction for Both teams to score – yes.
