Universitatea Craiova Faces Csikszereda on October 11, 2026

Universitatea Craiova began its Romanian SuperLiga Round 11 visit to FK Csikszereda in Miercurea Ciuc on Sunday, October 11, 2026, seeking to strengthen its position near the top of the standings. The defending champions entered the match in third place with 20 points, while the hosts had collected just one point from their first 10 games.

The match kicked off at 6 p.m. local time, with the score at 0-0 at the start, according to GSP.ro and Digi Sport. Craiova had scored 24 goals and recorded a goal difference of plus 15, compared with Csikszereda's six goals and minus 17 goal difference, Digi Sport reported.

Csikszereda entered the fixture under new management after the club replaced Istvan Szabo with Valentin Suciu following its poor opening 10 rounds. The appointment marked Suciu's return to the Romanian top flight, where he had previously worked with Sepsi OSK Sf. Gheorghe during the 2017-18 and 2024-25 seasons, according to GSP.ro.

Craiova, meanwhile, had gone six league matches without a defeat, recording four wins and two draws. Statistics published by the Romanian Professional Football League showed that the visitors led the competition in possession at 57.5% and had registered 66 shots on target after 10 rounds.

Before the match, Craiova head coach Filipe Coelho warned his players against underestimating their opponents because of the league table or becoming distracted by their upcoming European fixture against Getafe in the Conference League.

Coelho said the coaching change at Csikszereda made the encounter difficult to predict, as the home side had several days to prepare with its new manager.

"It will be a difficult match, especially because they have changed their coach. They have had several days to prepare for the game with the entire squad. It is difficult to predict how they will approach this match, so we must be ready to face certain things following the coaching change. At the same time, we must show the same ambition we displayed in September."

The Portuguese coach also cautioned against judging the fixture solely by the standings or allowing the European match to distract the squad. Craiova was scheduled to face Getafe on Thursday, October 15, at 7:45 p.m., according to HotNews.

"If we look at the standings, we would already be making our first major mistake. You asked me a question that revealed two mistakes. The first is looking at the standings, and the second is thinking about the Getafe match before this game."

Coelho emphasized that players who failed to concentrate on Csikszereda could jeopardize their participation in the European fixture. His immediate priority was securing league points rather than focusing on the scoreline.

"Those are two mistakes we do not want to make. If players go onto the field thinking about Getafe, they might not play in the match against Getafe. I am not thinking about the score; I am thinking about points."

The coach also discussed the return of players from international duty, highlighting Assad Al-Hamlawi and Carlos Mora after their performances for their national teams. He said the squad had reunited without injuries sustained during international matches.

"I want to identify three very important points. First, I am pleased with everyone who stayed with us and trained exceptionally well. Second, we had no injuries during international duty. Third, and very importantly, we are all together again because, honestly, I missed them."

Coelho said the two international players had reached a high level but stressed that their attention needed to return to club football.

"The important thing is for them to be happy. Reaching your national team represents the pinnacle of a footballer's career, but playing there means having a much greater responsibility. It seems they have reached a high level, and I am very pleased, but from now on, their focus must be on Craiova."

Craiova also faced a demanding schedule, with Coelho anticipating nine matches across 27 to 28 days. He described the workload as a challenge for the entire squad and reiterated that the next fixture remained the priority.

"We will have nine matches to play in 27 to 28 days, and we know it will be a busy period. We are the only team in Romania competing in Europe, and only we have so many matches to play."

He added that the coming weeks would require confidence and a match-by-match approach.

"It will be a challenge for everyone. It will be difficult, but also very exciting. We will take everything one match at a time, with confidence.

It will be a long journey. For now, the most important match is the next one."

The teams had met three times previously across domestic competitions, according to Digi Sport. Craiova won their 2019 Romanian Cup meeting 3-0 and defeated Csikszereda 2-1 away and 5-0 at home in the previous SuperLiga season.

League statistics also highlighted contrasting disciplinary and attacking figures. Csikszereda had earned a competition-low 26 corners and committed 154 fouls, the highest total among the league's teams, according to the Romanian Professional Football League.