FC Voluntari V Sepsi
Friday, 12th July 2019 – 16:30 Kick-Off
Romanian Liga 1
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: EVENS
Bookmaker: Bet22
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/4 | 2/1 | 8/5 |
* (Betting Odds were taken from Bet22 on July 11th, 2019 at 12:56)
Preview: The 2019-20 Romanian Liga 1 season begins on Friday with FC Voluntari hosting Sepsi at the Anghel Iordânescu stadium. Voluntari barely avoided relegation last season, while Sepsi were safely marooned in mid-table although did end the season in drastically poor form.
Romania Liga 1 Betting at Bet22
FC Voluntari Preview
If past performance is anything to go by, another season fending off the threat of relegation awaits FC Voluntari. The club, which was only founded in 2010, have finished no higher than 9th in their previous four campaigns in the Romanian Liga 1. There is no reason to believe it will be any different in 2019-20 either, after a reasonably quiet period in the transfer market.
The White and Burgundies finished the regular part of the previous league season second from bottom, after recording only four wins from 26 Liga 1 fixtures (W4 D9 L13, GF30 GA46). Their better displays were evidently reserved for home games. No fewer than 75% of their total number of victories were earned when playing at their Anghel Iordânescu stadium.
Form did improve once placed in the Relegation Round, significantly so in fact, as the team collected 20 points out of a possible 42 (W5 D5 L4) to climb out of the relegation positions and narrowly escape the drop. Just over 50% of their points (11/20) and victories (3/5) during this period were obtained on home soil. The 2-1 scoreline was also a common theme in their home matches, with five out of seven ending with that specific outcome for one of the sides.
Results against their opponents in this particular fixture, Sepsi, were positive as they collected four points from their two meetings during the regular season. Voluntari won an entertaining encounter at home 4-2, and were only denied maximum points in the away contest by a late stoppage time goal from the home side.
Sepsi Preview
Similar to their opponents, Sepsi are relatively new on the scene having been founded in 2011. It didn’t take them very long to rise through the Romanian football league system though, earning promotion to the top tier, Liga 1, in 2017 where they have been ever since. Their first season was predictably spent fighting against relegation, which they successfully managed to achieve with a 9th place finish.
Last season, however, saw them secure a top-half finish as they ended the regular season in 6th position (W10 D7 L9, GF32 GA25). This was enough for them to contest the Championship Round. As impressive as that was initially, the club nicknamed The White and Reds would probably later come to regret their own success as they toiled against the strongest teams in the division.
After ten matches against the league’s best sides, Sepsi finished the Championship Round without a win to their name (W0 D1 L9), losing 90% of their fixtures as they conceded on average twice per game. A goalless draw at home to third-placed Vitorul Constanta at least ensured they didn’t conclude the campaign pointless.
It is probably best focusing more on their away record during the regular season, therefore. Four of their ten wins were earned on their travels (W4 D5 L4), conceding 12 times in total whilst scoring 15 themselves. Although 33% of the goals they did concede away from home came in the corresponding fixture, when losing 4-2 at Voluntari.
Key Facts for FC Voluntari V Sepsi:
- FC Voluntari finished the end of last season in the Relegation Round (W5 D5 L4), where they barely avoided relegation.
- Sepsi ended last season in the Championship Round where they badly struggled (W0 D1 L9).
- These two teams played each other twice during the regular season in 2018-19: Voluntari won 4-2 at home while the contest in Sepsi finished 1-1.
Betting Summary
I won’t profess to being an expert on Romanian football. In fact, I am the complete opposite. It also doesn’t help when not even the bookmakers seem to know which of these are the better equipped to win, as there is virtually nothing to split them in the betting.
It might be wise, then, sticking to recent trends. Each of their previous four league encounters produced both teams to score, with the meetings in Voluntari finishing 2-1 to Sepsi in 2017-18 and 4-2 to the home side in 2018-19. The obvious plays are over 2.5 goals (6/5) and both teams to score (1/1). Taking into account these two sides cannot be separated in the betting, banking on both scoring for the fifth consecutive meeting is the tentative selection.
