Universitatea Craiova prepares to face FC Botonși on Sunday evening at the Ion Oblemenco stadium in a Round 14 fixture of the Superliga. The hosts enter the encounter holding a defensive milestone, having gone 563 minutes without conceding a goal, setting the benchmark for the current season.
Filipe Coelho’s Universitatea Craiova side lines up in a 3-4-3 formation featuring L. Popescu in goal, backed by a defensive trio of Romanchuk, Stevanovic, and Screciu. The midfield comprises Mora, T. Băluță, Cicâldău, and Bancu, while D. Matei, Al Hamlawi, and Baiaram spearhead the attack. The bench includes options such as Al. Maxim, R. Sava, and Heriberto Tavares. Notably, 30-year-old central defender Adrian Rus returns to the matchday squad after an absence of more than two months due to injury.
On the opposing side, Marius Croitoru deploys FC Botoșani in a 4-3-3 setup with Anestis starting in goal. The defensive line features Bayeye, Sadiku, Diaw, and Creț, while Petro, E. Papa, and L. De Vega form the midfield trio. The forward positions are occupied by Mitrov, Dumiter, and Idowu. Botoșani’s substitutes bench lists Gurău, Bordeianu, Mailat, and Markovic, among others. The visitors are missing the suspended Ilaș and the injured Ongenda.
The match officials are led by referee Gabriel Mihuleac, assisted on the sidelines by linesmen Mihaiță Necula and George Duță. The video assistant referee duties are handled by Iulian Dima, with Valentin Porumbel serving as the assistant VAR.
Historical fixtures between the two clubs in the top domestic division show a balanced record across 30 previous encounters. Universitatea Craiova has claimed 11 victories, FC Botoșani has won nine times, and 10 matches have ended in draws. Their very first meeting took place on November 1, 2014, ending in a 2-1 win for Craiova under coaches Emil Săndoi, Sorin Cârțu, and Leo Grozavu. The most recent league clash between the two teams occurred on January 24, 2026, when Craiova secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Alexandru Cicâldău and Monday Etim. Botoșani’s largest defeat in this fixture came on October 1, 2023, when they fell 5-1, while their last win against Craiova dates back to January 21, 2023, by a 1-0 margin.
Furthermore, FC Botoșani carries a prolonged winless away record in the championship, having failed to secure an away victory since November 30, 2025, when they defeated Unirea Slobozia 1-0. Since then, their travels have yielded five draws and 12 defeats. In contrast, Universitatea Craiova has recorded six home victories by at least a two-goal margin this season, with their only home defeat on Romanian turf coming against FC Argeș on August 9, 2026, by a 0-1 scoreline, contributing to a home goal difference of 22-2.
