FCSB gears up for Conference League preliminaries and potential third‑round opponents

FCSB is set to face Latvian side FK Auda in the second‑preliminary round of the UEFA Conference League, with the two legs scheduled for 23 and 30 July. If the Romanian club progresses, it will be seeded as a group‑stage head‑of‑series for the third round, where a draw on 20 July will determine its possible opponents.

Analysts at Football Meets Data project that the toughest third‑round adversary could be Benfica, should the Portuguese side lose to St Gallen in the Europa League second round. Parallel scenarios are outlined for fellow Romanian clubs CFR Cluj and U Cluj, whose draws are also slated for mid‑July.