The first leg of the 2025/26 Europa League second qualifying round between Lugano (Switzerland) and CFR Cluj (Romania) will take place on July 24 at the Arena Thun. CFR Cluj vs. Lugano: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lugano
The club earned the right to play in the Europa League thanks to their fourth-place finish in the last Swiss championship. They have participated in the Europa League four times, with their best achievement being reaching the group stage. In the previous European season, the club competed in the main stage of the Conference League, where they finished sixth in the table, accumulating 13 points (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). By making it to the top eight, the team started the playoffs directly from the Round of 16 but could not advance further.
- No more than one goal was scored in 5 of the last 7 home matches of the team in the Europa League.
- The team did not score more than one goal in 6 of the last 7 home games in the Europa League.
- Lugano won with a (0) handicap in their last five home encounters in European competitions.
Predicted lineup for Lugano (4-4-2)
Amir Saipi – Antonios Papadopoulos, Lukas Mai, Martim Marques, Yuri Peverelli – Uran Bislimi, Daniel dos Santos, Ousmane Doumbia, Anto Grgic – Alexandre Parsemain, Renato Steffen.
CFR Cluj
The Romanians successfully overcame Hungarian side Paksi in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. The first match away ended in a goalless draw, but in the return leg, CFR Cluj confidently defeated their opponents 3-0. At this stage of qualification, the team had previously played only once and also advanced further. Overall, the club has participated in the Europa League seven times, with their best result being reaching the first playoff round. It is also worth noting that the Romanian championship has already started: after two rounds, CFR Cluj has collected four points and is in fifth place.
- No more than two goals were recorded in 9 of the last 13 away matches of the club in European competitions.
- CFR Cluj won 5 of the last 7 games in international competitions.
- At least two goals were scored in 4 of the last 5 away matches of the team in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for CFR Cluj (4-3-3)
Otto Hindrich – Mario Camora, Leonardo Bolgado, Sherif Sinyan, Ali Abed – Alexandru Paun, Karlo Muhar, Damjan Djokovic – Virgiliu Postolachi, Andres Sfait, Ciprian Deac.
Referee
Darren England (England)
Matches – 20 (International matches and English Championship, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 87;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 5;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 20%.
Lugano vs. CFR Cluj: Match Prediction
Lugano is not known for high scoring in European competitions at home – in 5 of the last 7 home matches in the Europa League, neither team scored. A similar pattern is observed with their opponent: in 14 of the last 15 away games of CFR Cluj in this tournament, there was no exchange of goals. Moreover, this trend continues in European competitions in general – in 7 of the last 8 away matches of the team in international competitions, at least one club's players left the field without scoring.
In my opinion, CFR Cluj will once again play defensively, as they did in the first match against Paksi. Their task is not to concede and try to resolve everything in the return leg at home. Additionally, in the Swiss championship, there are not many teams playing such a closed style, and Lugano may find it difficult to break through the opponent's tight defense.
My prediction: Both teams to score – No
