- Universitatea Craiova have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti are unbeaten away from home in Liga I in 2025-2026, winning 1 and drawing 2 of their 3 away matches.
- Craiova have a perfect record at home in Liga I this season (3 wins from 3) with 6 goals scored.
Title favourites Craiova host Petrolul Ploiesti in a contest of styles
Sunday’s Liga I clash between Universitatea Craiova and SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti pits an expansive, attack-minded team against a more pragmatic, defence-first approach. Mirel Radoi’s Craiova side will be looking to win a third consecutive game after an excellent away win over Istanbul Basaksehir FK in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers in midweek.
Since his appointment as head coach in January 2025, Radoi has installed a philosophy based on attacking soccer, with the team pressing the ball and aiming to play at a high tempo and dominate in the opponent’s half. Our Universitatea Craiova vs SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti prediction is influenced by the fact that Craiova have won four of their last five matches in all competitions and currently sit atop the table with 16 points from 6 matches.
Petrolul Ploiesti are in 10th place with 6 points from 6 games, following a mixed run of 1 win, 3 draws and a defeat in their last 5 outings. Liviu Ciobotariu took over as their head coach in June 2025 and has instilled a more defensive strategy, which has seen the side build from the back with the occasional counter-attack to pinch a goal.
Petrolul Ploiesti have the psychological edge
Petrolul Ploiesti will fancy their chances of getting a result against Craiova, who have failed to beat them in their last 2 home head-to-heads. This Universitatea Craiova vs SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti preview highlights that Petrolul do not hold the edge in terms of historical head-to-head record across all venues and in all competitions, with Craiova winning just one of the last 3 meetings and Petrolul none.
However, Craiova’s form and league position must be considered, and they are the strong favorites at 1.61 against Petrolul’s 5.57. A Universitatea Craiova vs SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti prediction would suggest that a win would cement Craiova’s title credentials this year, while Petrolul will want to prove the oddsmakers wrong and cause an upset to propel themselves further up the standings in this top-heavy division.
Petrolul have only conceded 0.33 goals on average away from home in Liga I this term, so Craiova’s main goal threat, Steven Nsimba, who has 4 goals in 4 appearances in the league, will need to be on his game to help his side score a couple of goals.
Back the underdog for an important win
A clash of such contrasting styles, with a fine margin in the flow of play, makes for a tense encounter, and backing the away side Petrolul Ploiesti, who have shown they are a difficult side to break down, to at least get a draw from this fixture is a good bet.
This Universitatea Craiova vs SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti prediction is further supported by recent results, as Craiova are in the ascendancy and playing with a lot of confidence, but Petrolul have been a hard nut to crack recently, as they were in their two most recent matches, which they drew. Among the best Universitatea Craiova vs SC FC Petrolul Ploiesti betting tips is to back Petrolul in the Double Chance market, with the Under 2.5 goals market also a savvy pick given the attacking quality of Craiova and the defensive approach of Petrolul.
