On Thursday, October 23, at the Arena Națională in Bucharest, FCSB will host Bologna in one of the most balanced fixtures of the UEFA Europa League Matchday 3. The home side, currently sitting on three points after two games, will be looking for a win to bounce back from their defeat against Young Boys — but the task looks far from easy. Charalampous’s men are also struggling in the domestic league, where they sit in the lower part of the Romanian SuperLiga table. For this reason, beating Bologna would represent a valuable opportunity to regain confidence and momentum. Bologna, on the other hand, have collected just one point so far and are chasing their first European win to get back in contention for qualification. For Vincenzo Italiano’s side, this is a real do-or-die match: a defeat would drastically reduce their chances of progressing in the competition. It will therefore be a crucial test for both sides — FCSB aiming to defend their long international tradition, and Bologna determined to keep their European dream alive.

 

FCSB's form and key stats

It’s a difficult period for FCSB, who lost 2-1 against Metaloglobus Bucharest — the bottom team in the Romanian SuperLiga — in their latest league match on October 18. Charalampous’s side currently sit 12th in the standings with 13 points from 13 games, coming from 3 wins, 4 draws and 6 defeats.

Recently, the Bucharest team have shown inconsistent form: 3 wins and 2 losses in their last five matches across all competitions, with an average of 0.8 goals scored and conceded per game. This highlights a well-organized defense, but also clear struggles in front of goal.

In their first two Europa League matches, the Romanian side have earned 3 points — winning 0-1 in their debut against Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles and then losing 0-2 against Swiss outfit Young Boys. At home, FCSB have won three of their last four games, keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories.

 

Bologna's form and key stats

Bologna come into this match in a completely different mood, having won two consecutive Serie A games — the latest being a 0-2 victory away to Cagliari on October 19. That result allowed Vincenzo Italiano’s men to climb to fifth place in Serie A with 13 points from 4 wins, 1 draw, and 2 defeats.

The Rossoblù have shown strong form recently: 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last five matches across all competitions, with an average of 1.8 goals scored and 0.8 conceded per game. The attack seems to be back at last season’s levels, driven by Riccardo Orsolini’s creativity, while the defense has tightened up — keeping clean sheets in their last two matches against Pisa and Cagliari.

In the Europa League, however, things haven’t gone as planned. Bologna have just one point so far, having lost 1-0 away to Aston Villa and drawn 1-1 at home with Freiburg. Away from home, after losing their first three trips of the season, they’ve managed two positive results in a row — against Lecce and Cagliari.

 

FCSB vs Bologna Prediction by BetMines

BetMines predicts a very balanced match, with the visitors slightly favored to take the win — mainly due to their better current form and overall squad quality.

With Bologna’s win probability estimated at 40% and FCSB’s at 34%, BetMines’ main tip is to go for the Double Chance X2, expecting the Italian side to avoid defeat.

In terms of goals, this is likely to be a low-scoring match with fewer than four total goals (Under 3.5). The last five matches played by the Romanian side have all ended with this outcome, as have seven of the last nine games played by the Italians.

 

Probable line-ups: FCSB vs Bologna

FCSB (4-2-3-1): Tarnovanu; Cretu, Ngezana, Alhassan, Pantea; Sut, Tanase; Miculescu, Olaru, Thiam; Alibec. Coach: Charalampous

BOLOGNA (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Holm, Heggem, Lucumì, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro. Coach: Italiano