Preview: Cupa României Round of 32

DARABANI, Romania (Interstat) — A classic cup mismatch is set for Tuesday as top-flight side Petrolul Ploiești travels to face third-tier Sănătatea Darabani in the Round of 32 of the Cupa României.

The fixture pits a struggling Liga I club against a lower-division team in strong domestic form, creating the potential for an upset.

Petrolul Ploiești enters the match under significant pressure. The visitors are reeling from a 4-0 home defeat to Universitatea Craiova in Liga I play on Dec. 4. Their recent form has been poor, with just one win in their last three matches across all competitions, a 2-1 victory at FC Politehnica Iași on Aug. 27. They managed a 1-1 draw at UTA Arad on Oct. 30.

In contrast, Sănătatea Darabani, while competing in the Liga III, has found consistent success in the cup. The hosts’ most recent result was a narrow 2-1 home loss to Gloria Bistrița on Dec. 3. However, their cup run has been impressive, including a commanding 8-0 victory at CSM Avântul Reghin on Aug. 6 and a 1-0 win over ACS Mediaș 2022 on Aug. 13. Their only cup setback was a 4-1 defeat to Universitatea Craiova on Oct. 29.

The statistical outlook favors the underdog. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 3-1 victory for Sănătatea Darabani.

For Petrolul, the match represents a critical opportunity to salvage pride and advance in a major competition amid a difficult league campaign. For Sănătatea Darabani, it is a chance to claim a historic scalp against a traditional Romanian powerhouse in front of a home crowd.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time at Stadionul Municipal in Darabani. The winner will advance to the Round of 16.