On Tuesday, December 19th, U Craiova 1948 will go head-to-head with Petrolul 52 at 15:30 with sunny skies at the Complex Sportiv Craiova stadium in Craiova. This highly-anticipated rematch of the Romania Liga I, which ended with a 4-3 Petrolul 52 win and two goals from C. Irobiso, promises to be an intense match played in enjoyable 47 degree Fahrenheit heat.

U Craiova 1948 have been in stellar form at home lately, recording three wins and a draw in their last five matches at Complex Sportiv Craiova. With nine goals scored over that period, the home side has been in good offensive form and look to build on their results against similarly ranked opponents this season where they have registered three wins, one draw, and one loss, while scoring a consistent 1.4 goals and conceding an average of 0.8 against these teams. Adding to their cause, top scorer A. Chițu returns to the line-up with seven goals from 12 home matches, giving the home side additional firepower to close out their season.

Petrolul 52 are coming into this game with optimism, having seen a glimmer of success on their travels with 1 win and 3 draws in their last 5 fixtures. Although their away goalscoring form has been lacking, L. Zima - their goalkeeper - has been in stellar form on the road, shutting out strikers in 8 of his 13 appearances away from home. With a strong squad of 26 points from 19 matches, the away side are optimistic of continuing their strong form with this game.

The two clubs have faced off five times and the recent games have yielded an average total of 2.4 goals over the past five matches. U Craiova 1948 have been victorious once and earned one draw, while Petrolul 52 have earned three victories. Both teams are likely to be looking to build on their successes when they meet up again, making for an exciting matchup with plenty of goals at stake.

As close neighbours just 117 miles apart, the cities of U Craiova 1948 and Petrolul 52 are no strangers to competitive soccer matches. With the two teams looming close in proximity, the anticipation of a heated battle between local rivals is sure to be anticipated by soccer fans from both sides.