Young Boys vs CFR Cluj

Young Boys and CFR Cluj will lock horns at the Stadion Wankdor in their finely poised UEFA Champions League third-round qualifying tie.

Vincent Sierro’s 93rd-minute strike in Transylvania fired Young Boys to a 1-1 first-leg draw, bolstering their chances of overcoming the Romanian side in this nerve-shredding tie. Interestingly, the last time these two teams locked horns at this venue, the neutrals got to see three goals beyond the 80th minute, with Young Boys coming from behind to claim a 2-1 win in the 2020/21 Europa League group stage. However, David Wagner’s men have gone from accumulating seven strikes in two competitive fixtures to netting just once in their last three games in all competitions (D2, L1). Before being held to a goalless draw to domestic rivals Grasshoppers in their most recent home outing, Young Boys had been lethal in front of home fans, notably netting 2+ goals in seven straight competitive home matches.

As for Cluj, they had to thank the abolition of the away-goal rule when they ousted Borac Banja Luka in the first qualifying round (3-1 H, 2-0 A). The Romanian heavyweights went on to overcome Lincoln Red Imps with ease in the previous qualifying round (2-1 A, 2-0 H), with three of their four goals scored across those legs coming inside the first 15 minutes of the second half. Cluj’s ability to thrive in high-stake contests has seen them taste defeat just once in their last 12 Champions League qualifiers (W7, D4, L1 – 90 mins), play-offs excluded. That said, five of Cluj’s last six victories in all competitions have featured a winning margin of a single goal. Marius Șumudică’s men have broken the deadlock in all four domestic wins this season, though each saw a stalemate at half-time.