Ararat vs Universitatea Cluj: Europa Conference League Prediction (24.07.2025)

On July 24, 2025, at 23:00 WIB, a UEFA Europa Conference League qualification quarterfinal match will take place in Yerevan between Ararat and Universitatea Cluj. Bookmakers consider the teams to be roughly equal in strength. Let’s examine the current form of both sides and offer our match prediction.

Ararat

The Armenian vice-champions approach the new season amid a complete team overhaul. In addition to squad changes, the club recently replaced its entire coaching staff. As a result, it’s difficult to predict how these changes will affect the team’s quality of play. Ararat has already signed nine new players, some of whom are expected to start the match. However, a major concern remains whether anyone can compensate for the departure of top scorer Marius Noubissi, who has already found the net in the Conference League for another Armenian side, Pyunik. The team also lost its second top scorer and the third-highest scorer in the Armenian league last season, Tenton Yenne. Combined, these two players scored 35 goals in the domestic campaign.

Universitatea Cluj

The Students, unlike their opponent, have already kicked off the new national league season. In the first round, the team beat Metaloglobus 4:1, but dropped points in the second round with a 1:1 draw against UTA Arad, despite dominating the match. The visitors are currently dealing with injury issues in defense, as both central defenders — Cissé and van der Werff — are out. In attack, the coaching staff is placing high hopes on Ivorian forward Issouf Macalou. He joined the club last winter and quickly became one of its leaders. The striker is also strong in aerial duels, standing at 187 cm tall.

Stats and Head-to-Head Record

There are no previous head-to-head encounters. The teams will meet for the first time.

Prediction

In the Ararat vs Universitatea Cluj match, we favor the visitors. The home team is undergoing a major internal restructuring, which will likely impact their chemistry and effectiveness. In this case, more trust goes to the Romanian side, which has maintained its core from last season and already has some competitive match experience. Therefore, we suggest betting on Universitatea Cluj with a 0 handicap at odds of 1.92.