FC Utrecht will defeat travel-shy Steaua
Despite suffering only one defeat in their last seven outings and being responsible for the end of Ajax's lengthy domestic unbeaten home run earlier this month, FC Utrecht's recent form and Eredivisie league position are hardly sensational.
The Dutch side have won just twice in 90 minutes since their remarkable 4-0 victory over Celtic in August, in which Eredivisie top goalscorer Ricky van Wolfswinkel earned flavour of the month status with a hat-trick, and their streak of eight straight home triumphs was ended with successive draws.
However, they look a tempting proposition at [1.83] to enhance their prospects of finishing in the top two of Europa League Group K by beating Steaua Bucharest in what is realistically their easiest encounter this evening.
The Romanian visitors proved they can't be underestimated by following their 4-1 loss in Liverpool with a 3-3 draw against Napoli that could have been so much more - they raced into a shock 3-0 lead after 16 minutes but paid the price for Pantelis Kapetanos' first-half dismissal as the Partenopei equalised in the 97th minute.
Yet while that performance in front of their own fans showcased Steaua's potential, their last few away results are a cause for huge concern. They've endured five reverses in a row on the road in Liga 1 and Europe, the latest against fierce rivals Dinamo Bucharest in the derby on Sunday.
They haven't had much trouble finding the net though so a punt on over 2.5 goals at [1.98] may also be in order. The other wager that will no doubt appeal to many is for van Wolfswinkel to grab the opener at [5.4], in a match we believe will mark Utrecht's first win of the group stage.
FC Utrecht v Steaua Bucharest
Kick-off: 6pm
Live on ESPN
Got any bets lined up for this game? Then tell us all about them below...
Published: 21 Oct 2010
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