Article by Sergiu Alexandru – Published Wednesday, November 26, 2025, 8:27 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, November 26, 2025, 8:27 p.m.
Red Star and FCSB will meet on Thursday in a double stakes match. The duel will not only matter for the two teams in the Europa League group, but it can also have an important impact on the countries' quotient.
- Red Star Belgrade – FCSB will play on Thursday, from 22:00, in the #5 stage of the single group of the Europa League. The match will be liveTEXT on GSP.ro and on TV on Prima Sport 1 and Digi Sport 1
Romania and Serbia are fighting to finish the 2025-2026 season in 23rd place in the top of the coefficients. Romania now occupies this place, which means that next season the Superliga champion would enter the UCL preliminaries in the 2nd round, not the 1st round.
The difference is now quite small. Romania has a total coefficient of 24,000, and Serbia of 22,875. A difference of 1.125 points, which in this round will increase if FCSB beats Red Star.
Red Star – FCSB, essential in the battle between Serbia and Romania for the coefficient
It is essential for Romania not to allow Serbia to get closer. With a victory for the red-blues, Romania would accumulate 0.5 points. It would reach 1,625 points, which could be decisive in the battle between Serbia and Romania and secure us the 23rd place in the ranking.
- In the group stage, each victory of a team is rewarded with 2 points in the coefficient ranking. Each equal, with one point. Then, it is divided by the number of teams from the respective country that started in the European cups, i.e. 4, as many as Romania had.
The dowry of points after this round could increase if Universitatea Craiova gets a good result against Mainz in the Conference League.
Serbia, like Romania, started the campaign with 4 teams. But now he is left with only one, the Red Star. If the Serbs win and Universitatea Craiova also loses, the gap between Romania and Serbia would be reduced to 0.625 points. And the fight for 23rd place would become increasingly complicated in the last European rounds.
In the direct battle, Romania recovered a lot of ground, surpassing Serbia thanks to the 4.5 points collected this season. On the other hand, the Serbians collected only 2,875 points.
With a good evening in Europe, Romania could climb one place, on 22nd, above Hungary. We need FCSB and University to bring points and Ferencvaros is not doing well with Fenerbahce.
FCSB and Red Star, complicated situation in the Europa League
After 4 rounds, Steaua Roșie and FCSB are out of the places leading to the next phase. The Serbians are on 26th place, with 4 points (one win, one draw, two defeats), and the Romanians are on 31st, with 3 points (one win, three defeats).
With a win, either team could enter, with the help of the results, the top 24, which would ensure qualification for the next round.
