CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BETTING PREVIEW - SHKENDIJA VS FCSB

Champions League

2025-07-22 - Shkendija vs FCSB

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Shkendija v FCSB
Football: UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round First Leg
Tuesday 22nd July 2025 - Kick Off 7pm

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Preview

After making heavy weather of beating TNS from Wales, Shkendija will simply be glad that they are still in the Champions League even if they know they need to step up their levels of performance significantly. They are going to be the underdog in this Second Qualifying Round tie, but this time Shkendija will be hosting the First Leg and will be looking to have something to defend when travelling to the Romanian capital next week.

It is a big ask for Shkendija, but they will have picked up some confidence from winning a European tie having been beaten in the opening tie in each of the last two seasons.

In 2022/23, Shkendija did find a way to move through to the Third Qualifying Round in the Europa Conference League, but this is not a club that have a lot of experience facing up to an opponent like FCSB. Defeats in the last two years have been against Haverfordwest County and Noah, while it has to be remembered that Shkendija needed Extra Time to finally see off TNS last week in the First Qualifying Round.

Now they are facing an opponent that reached the Last 16 in the Europa League last season, while also winning 3 of the 4 Qualifying ties played. FCSB had won a couple of Qualifiers in the Champions League before being dumped out by Sparta Prague in a 4-3 aggregate defeat, but a win over LASK in the Europa League Play Off Round saw them join some big names in the League Phase of that competition.

If Shkendija made heavy work of an opponent in the First Qualifying Round, FCSB were perhaps even more guilty when beating Andorran Champions Inter Club d'Escaldes 4-3 on aggregate having lost 2-1 in the away Leg. They did score first to move into a 4-1 lead on aggregate before conceding two second half goals and FCSB are unlikely to be as guilty of losing focus as they perhaps were in the Second Leg last week.

The side have opened the domestic season by winning at Petrolul this past weekend and FCSB should be all the better for that result.

This is the first competitive meeting between these clubs.

Prediction

Neither team particularly impressed in the First Qualifying Round of the Champions League, but the job is to get through and Shkendija and FCSB have managed to do that.

The Romanian Champions were perhaps guilty of losing some focus in the Second Leg of their opening tie having moved into a commanding 4-1 lead and there is no doubt that FCSB have much more experience compared with the underdog.

Shkendija do have home advantage in the First Leg, and that could be key, but FCSB put some solid away performances on the board last season as they progressed to the Last 16 of the Europa League.

It is a level they can reach and opening the domestic season with an away win can be backed up by FCSB bringing a lead back to the Romanian capital ahead of the Second Leg in this Champions League tie.

The Pick :

Shkendija 0-1 FCSB

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back FCSB to Win at 1.84 with SportBet.One