Universitatea Craiova have been building smoothly through the qualifiers, unbeaten at home and finding the net in every recent fixture. Ararat-Armenia arrive with their entire regular XI rotated out — a move that significantly undermines their competitive edge. The visitors' rece…
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Sign inUniversitatea Craiova welcome Ararat-Armenia to their usual Complex Sportiv Craiova home on Thursday, 20 August 2026, for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off round tie. Kick-off is at 20:00 local time, with a place in the league phase at stake. The two clubs have never met in a competitive fixture before, making this a maiden encounter with significant European consequences.
Craiova enter this play-off off the back of a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Finnish side KuPS in the previous round. The Romanian side advanced 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Steven Nsimba equalised from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute before Carlos Mora struck the winner just after the hour mark, completing a determined comeback. That tie highlighted both the attacking threat and the resilience of Mirel Rădoi's side, who have now scored in four of their five European outings this season.
The club’s European journey began in the Champions League, where they eased past Belarusian side ML Vitebsk 5-1 on aggregate before falling 3-2 to Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia. Dropping into the Europa League qualifying path, Craiova have regrouped and will view this play-off as a genuine opportunity to secure league phase football. In domestic competition, their recent form has been mixed, but the 30,983-capacity stadium—usually a cauldron of noise on European nights—could provide the edge they need.
Craiova have notable concerns between the posts. According to sources, goalkeepers Andrei Isenko and Denis Iamandache are both ruled out with long-term knee injuries. In their absence, the backline, marshalled by Adrian Rus and Nicusor Bancu—both of whom have collected bookings in qualifying—will need to maintain discipline. Attacking impetus is likely to come from Stefan Baiaram and the aforementioned Mora, who has one goal to his name in the competition.
No specific injury news is available for Ararat-Armenia ahead of this tie, though the Armenian side will travel to Romania with a fully rested squad following their elimination from the Champions League path.
Ararat-Armenia’s European campaign started brightly in the Champions League. They navigated a tricky first-round clash against Riga, winning 4-3 on aggregate, and then eliminated Shamrock Rovers 3-2 over two legs. Their run was halted in the third qualifying round by Slovenian champions Celje, who edged a tight contest 3-2 on aggregate. That loss parachuted Manuel Tulipa’s men into the Europa League play-offs, where history beckons. Should Ararat-Armenia progress, they will become the first Armenian club ever to reach the main stage of the UEFA Europa League—a milestone that places enormous significance on this 180-minute tie.
With goals in tight contests, Costa Rican winger Carlos Mora has emerged as Craiova’s go-to attacker in European games. His ability to drift inside from the flank and arrive late in the box was evident in the winner against KuPS. Ararat-Armenia’s defence, which kept two clean sheets across their four Champions League qualifiers, will need to track those late runs meticulously. The return of centre-back Sandro Lima, a vocal presence in the Armenian side, could be pivotal in organising the backline under the expected early pressure from the hosts.
The second leg takes place on Thursday, 27 August in Armenia. The winner of this tie advances to the Europa League league phase; the loser drops into the Conference League league phase, ensuring both sides will feature in a European group stage regardless of the overall result.
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