​In Cluj – Rapid, the scoring match of the 23rd stage of the Romanian championship, scheduled for Friday, January 27, at 20:00 at Cluj Arena, it will be broadcast live on Digi Sport 1, Orange Sport 1 and Prima Sport. 1.

Cluj and Rapid open the 23rd stage of the Super League with a traditional derby of Romanian football, both teams coming after victories in the first games of 2023.

Cluj are 14th after 22 matches with 22 points, two points behind the teams above the relegation zone (Hermannstadt, FC U Craiova, FC Arges and FC Botosani are 9-12, each with 24 points) .

The Ardennes won the previous leg 2-1 at home to FC Voluntari following the return of Ioan Ovidiu Sabau as head coach after an eight-year absence, but the visitors were down to 10 men from the 48th minute.

The Red Caps have the second-lowest attack in the league, conceding 16 goals (only bottom-placed KS Mioveni have scored fewer, 14), but they are unbeaten at Cluj Arena in five matches (four in Super League and one in the Romanian Cup).

“We have to win, no matter how we win, we have to play pragmatically, for results,” said Yoan Ovidiu Sabeu.

Rapid, in 4th place after 22 stages, with 41 points, six points behind leaders CFR Cluj, started 2023 strongly, 3-0 against Sepsi in Giulesti, thanks to a hat-trick from Mario Džugandžić, the Croatia forward who is now has 12 goals, one less than the top scorer of the championship Andrea Compagno (FC U Craiova / FCSB).

Adrian Mutu’s side are on a five-game unbeaten run in the Super League (two wins and three draws) but are without a win away from home for three games (in fact, they have collected just 14 points in 11 away matches ).

Giulesteni have the best defense in the league with 19 goals conceded, but among the top six only Craiova University have scored fewer goals, 27 compared to Giulesteni’s 30.

“Ahead of us is a game against a team that needs points. We will play on a very difficult field. We have to come to terms with the situation and play the match we need to win. Success would keep us in the top three or four,” said Adrian Mutu.

In a tour match on 30 August 2022, Rapid beat U Cluj 1–0 in Giulești thanks to an 80th-minute penalty goal from Džugandžić.

The two teams had previously met on 7 December 2022 in the Romanian Cup group stage at Cluj Arena in a game that ended in a 0–0 draw, which saw Cluj advance to the quarter-finals and Rapid exiting the competition.

Superbet offers odds of 1.40 on the prediction X2: a draw or a win for the guests in the match U Cluj – Rapid.

* the tariff is valid at the time of publication of the article