LIVE CFR Cluj – U Cluj, derby for the play-off in the 26th stage of the Superliga

The two teams from Cluj are in an excellent situation in the championship and are fighting for a place in the play-off.

CFR Cluj comes after 6 wins in a row and is in 7th place, with 38 points, one less than FC Botoșani, in 6th place. While U Cluj is in 4th place, with 42 points, and comes after 3 consecutive victories.

CFR Cluj – U Cluj, live from 20:00

CFR Cluj – U Cluj, probable teams

CFR Cluj (4-3-3): M. Popa – Abeid, Sinyan, M. Ilie, Camora – Korenica, Muhar, D. Djokovic – Cordea, Aliev, Biliboc
reserves: Valceanu, Gal, Kun, Masic, Perianu, Fică, C. Deac, Sfait, Zahovic, Silmani
Absent: Braun, T. Keita (suspended), A. Păun, M. Kamara, S. Rocha (injured)
Coach: Daniel Pancu

U Cluj (4-3-3): Gertmonas – Mikanovic, I. Cristea, Coubiș, M. Silva – G. Simion, Bic, Nistor – Macalou, A. Trică, Mendy
Reserves: Cosa, Lefter, Chinteș, Cisse, Chipciu, Toșca, Drammeh, Codrea, Stanojev, El Sawy, Fabry, A. Gheorghiță, Taiwo, Lukic
Absent: Artean, V. Postolachi, Capradossi (injured)
Coach: Cristiano Bergodi

Stadium: “Dr. Constantin Rădulescu (Cluj-Napoca)
Referee: Rareș Vidican // ASSISTANT: Andrei Constantinescu. Marius Badea
VAR Referee: Sorin Costreie // Assistant VAR: Andrew Anthony

You can feel the derby atmosphere. This match has been talked about for about a week now. Everyone in town is waiting for him. It is perhaps the most important match of the season. We are now within a point of the play-offs, which seemed almost impossible three months ago.

We're in it, we're in a good moment and I hope we can continue this streak. We meet an opponent who is better than us and who has a very good coach. I know him and I know that he analyzes the opponents very well. We must make as few mistakes as possible. I will talk to the players and tell them more. I will tell them to pay attention to a few aspects.

– Daniel Pancu, CFR Cluj coach

It's rivalry, it's pride, and the players are very focused. We are 5 games away from the play-offs and that motivates us. We are in a very good mood. It's easy to prepare such a match. And I hope we get a good result.

It's an important match, but it's not decisive for the play-offs. After this match, there are 4 more stages. There are another 12 points at stake. We saw yesterday how Botoșani and Oțelul lost. FCSB is catching up, and CFR Cluj is already there. It will be a close fight. So it's not a decisive match for the winning team. We have to wait. We will go for the win, as we always do. But anything is possible.

I am not surprised by the form in which. CFR. He has a young and very good coach. I know him well, I trained him at Rapid, when he was at the end of his career. I would have loved to coach him in the prime of his career.

– Cristiano Bergodi, U Cluj coach

The best statistics before CFR Cluj – U Cluj

• The two teams have met in the main domestic competition 39 times, 19 times CFR prevailed, eight times the University won, and 12 other games ended in a draw.
• The first match in the Romanian Super League is considered the one on December 7, 1947, Ferar-U 1-3. In the winter of 1947/48, Ferar merged with the second-division CFR Cluj, thus, in return, we fully enjoy the first duel at the highest level, U-CFR Ferar 2-4. The coaches were Nicolae Munteanu (U), respectively Elemer Hirsch (CFR).
• In the following season, 1948/49, the two teams took the B road together, just as they would do at the end of the 1975/76 season.
• October 25, 1970, CFR-U Cluj 2-1, for the “students” Mihai Adam scored, the one who entered the history of Romanian football as the only player to win the top scorer title with two teams from the same city (twice with U, one top scorer title with CFR). In total, he scored 5 goals in the Cluj derby, 4 of them in the CFR shirt.
• May 3, 1972, U-CFR 1-0, Ion Munteanu goal. After this success, the “Red Caps” waited 42 years until they scored another victory on the first stage against the “cherries” (March 24, 2014, CFR-U Cluj 1-2, goals Ogbu / Lemnaru, Ciupe). During all this time, the two have met at the highest level 17 times, eight CFR successes and nine draws.
• May 7, 2008, Universitatea Cluj-CFR 0-1, success following which CFR became the champion of Romania for the first time.
• The most goals in a duel on the first stage: August 21, 2023, Cluj University-CFR Cluj 3-4.
• The most recent direct match in the Super League: September 29, 2025, Cluj University-CFR Cluj 2-2 (M. Ilie – own goal, J. Lukic / D. Djokovic, L. Biliboc).
• It should be remembered that the Italian Cristiano Bergodi coached CFR in the 2006/2007 season, at the end of which the Cluj team placed first on the podium (3rd place) and managed to qualify for the first time in the European Cups.