- Universitatea Craiova have won three of their last five games and have won two on the spin in all competitions.
- Petrolul Ploiesti have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five matches, but are winless in their most recent home outing.
Petrolul Ploiesti looking to upset the odds
Relegation-threatened Petrolul Ploiesti will attempt to upset the odds when they host Universitatea Craiova in a must-win Liga I game on Monday. Our SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti vs Universitatea Craiova prediction considers that Craiova are the table-toppers in 2025-2026 with 40 points from their first 21 games, while Petrolul are 13th with 20 points from 21 games.
Petrolul boss Eugen Neagoe took over in September 2025 and has made a virtue out of necessity by organising his team to be defensively robust and pragmatic in a system that could be a back three or a 4-2-3-1 system. The hosts will remain compact and look for quick transitions to catch their more advanced opponents off guard.
Universitatea are the league’s most aggressive and high-tempo outfit under Filipe Coelho, who took over as manager in November 2025. The visitors like to press the ball wherever they can get it and get their advanced wing-backs high up the field. They will try to dominate the ball and force turnovers to create easy goals, but have the quality in their ranks to hurt opponents when they get the chance to play.
Tactical battle looks intriguing
This SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti vs Universitatea Craiova preview highlights a really interesting tactical battle between a compact, defence-first Petrolul side and an all-action, positive Craiova side. The hosts have the defensive organisation to keep the game in check but the visitors have the players to break their shape with their pace and passing.
The SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti vs Universitatea Craiova betting tips suggest that Craiova have the better overall form, the head-to-head advantage and the better firepower to claim all three points, and they look overpriced at 1.83, while Petrolul are too big at 4.2. The Under 2.5 goals option, which is priced at 1.65, is also tempting as it should be a cautious game with a Petrolul Ploiesti side that averages only 0.70 goals at home.
Craiova have the clinical finishers
Petrolul’s top goalscorer is Gheorghe Grozav with four goals in 20 Liga I appearances, so they have much of their attacking firepower in the boot of one man. Craiova have Monday Etim to thank for three assists in their last five and his link-up play has improved their potency. Stefan Baiaram is their main man in the frontline with six goals in 20, but it is Assad Al Hamlawi who has been in fine form recently with three goals in their last five.
Petrolul Ploiesti have failed to win any of their last three home matches against Universitatea and have lost all of the last three meetings, according to this SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti vs Universitatea Craiova prediction, a run which includes a 4-0 shellacking in the Romanian Cup just six weeks ago. That is why the away side are favored for the victory.
