CFR Cluj vs Malmo FF Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

This is a really tough tie to call as the UEFA Champions League heads into the 2nd Qualifying Round. It will be harder for these kind of teams to reach the group stage this term with more places going to teams from the major European leagues and this will be a tough test first up for Cluj.

They’ve not played a Champions League match since winning 1-0 at Old Trafford in the group stage in 2012. They won the Romanian top flight for the fourth time last term though to seal their return to Europe’s top table under the stewardship of Dan Petrescu but he has since left to move to China, meaning Edi Iordănescu will be at the helm in this game.

He has had a couple of domestic games to bed himself in but this is still a huge game to have so early in his reign. Swedish champions Malmo have also recently made a managerial switch. A poor start to their domestic campaign saw them hire Uwe Rösler and it has been a fairly bright start for the German who is yet to lose so far as Malmo boss.

1st Legs can often be quite cagey affairs in European competition and this one could well go down that route, particularly with the teams seemingly quite evenly matched. Both coaches will want some time to figure the other team out and it would be a surprise if we saw a lot of goals here.

Cluj matches are normally quite low-scoring in any case. All of their last 7 competitive games have produced under 2.5 goals. Including friendlies, 11 of their last 12 have done likewise so even against weaker opposition in Romania, they rarely win big and they will feel a clean sheet here would give them a fighting shot going into next week’s 2nd Leg in Scandinavia.

Malmo will principally be looking to avoid defeat and they will fancy they can keep this Cluj attack quiet. They’ve only conceded 2 goals in 5 matches since Rosler took charge and do appear to have found a cure for the problems which have largely ruled themselves out of contention in the 2018 Swedish Allsvenskan. Their form has improved, with 4 wins from their last 5 but they are perhaps too far back to make a serious challenge and that only heightens the importance of this European campaign.

All things considered, it’s likely to be a close contest between this pair and backing Under 2.5 Goals appeals, with defence likely to come out on top in the 1st Leg at least.