Marius Bacchiu's side are in 4th place in the table with 8 points after 4 rounds, with a game in hand. Their opponents are in 14th place, with just 3 points and no wins. Furthermore, the Red-Blues have demonstrated a solid defense, conceding only 2 goals in 4 matches, while Botosani has already scored 5.
Their head-to-head record speaks for itself: in their last 33 matches in all competitions, FCSB has won 24 times and lost only 4. Of particular importance is the fact that Botosani has never beaten FCSB on the road. Their last meeting, in the playoff semifinals in May of this year, also ended in a 4-3 victory for the Bucharest team. Given this psychological advantage and their visitors' poor away performances, the hosts have every chance of extending their winning streak in this matchup.
FCSB's personnel situation also gives them added confidence in their victory. Three key players, David Miculescu, Ofri Arad, and Mihai Popescu, are returning to the squad ahead of the match, significantly strengthening the squad. Furthermore, the head coach plans to restructure the team's play, switching to a 3-4-3 formation to inject new attacking edge. Botosani owner Valeriu Iftime himself admits that his team is going through a tough time and that an away game against FCSB is always a serious test.
