Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Europa League match.
FCSB pulled off a surprise win in Thessaloniki over PAOK (2:1) in the first leg of the Europa League play-off round, proving their strong European form this season. However, as the tie heads to Romania, PAOK remain the slight favourite to turn things around.
FCSB
The Romanian side benefited from key moments in the first leg, notably the red card to PAOK’s forward Taison Freda just before half-time. Additionally, PAOK had already lost key defender Giannis Michailidis to injury, giving FCSB more space to exploit. Despite this, their first-half performance was underwhelming, producing just one shot on target. A major concern for the second leg is the suspension of key striker Daniel Bîrligea, which could limit their attacking potential in the opponent’s box.
PAOK
PAOK did not expect to lose at home but still has a good chance of turning the tie around. Since the defeat, they have responded emphatically, winning two consecutive league matches with a combined scoreline of 12:0 (against OFI Crete 5:0 and Lamia 7:0). The likely inclusion of Fedor Chalov and Giannis Konstantelias from the start could significantly boost PAOK’s attacking threat.
FCSB vs PAOK Prediction
FCSB’s last European home match ended in a 0:2 defeat to an out-of-form Manchester United side, proving that they struggle against well-organised opponents. Given PAOK’s explosive attacking response in recent matches, the visitors have a strong chance of securing a result.
